The Great Mechanic Han had a total of twenty-three talents, Reynold only had six fewer, seventeen talents. This was almost double what the three other Grade B freelance mercenaries had!

For those with high potential, as their level increased, they would regularly receive new talents.

In the current Black Star Army, Herlous was the one with the most talents among the officers—fifteen. He was much stronger than back then when he joined.

When Han Xiao recruited him, he had only had twelve talents.

In terms of the quality of talents, Feidin and Harmon were at the top. They both had Molding Talents.

Feidin’s Advanced Luck Glow, of course, was undisputedly overpowered.

Harmon’s [War God’s Tenacity] and [Desperate Straits] combined with his Basic Luck Glow as a protagonist type character was like a health lock cheat and unlimited buff cheat, which was also very powerful.

The Molding Talent was what differentiated regular people from elites and bosses. Han Xiao was genuinely surprised that Reynold had one too.

_____________________

[Perfect Mechanical Sense]

Total Machinery Affinity * 1.4. (Includes basic value, bonuses from passive abilities, and talents. This effect applies to the total value.)

When enhancing machines using Mechanical Force, the quality of the machinery will be temporarily increased by 1 – 2 Grades, up to Pink Grade.

+4 levels to all Mechanic class active abilities. This effect can exceed the level limit.

Remark: In your senses, every machine is a world of ecological balance.

_____________________

“It’s this talent!”

Han Xiao’s eyes sparkled.

In his previous life, there were players who had listed all the Molding Talents of the characters in Galaxy on the forums. Some of these talents were class exclusive; [Perfect Mechanical Sense] was exclusive to the Mechanic class and was considered one of the best Molding Talents. It influenced three things that were all connected to each other.

Needless to say, the 1.4 times multiplier to total Machinery Affinity was powerful.

Machinery Affinity was the core abilities of the Mechanic class, and it was used to increase the power of machines. For example, if a Mechanic had 500% Machinery Affinity provided by all his talents and abilities, [Perfect Mechanical Sense] would take 500% and multiply it by 1.4, making that 700%!

The rules of this bonus were the same as the Calamity Grade talent [Superhuman], applying to the total value. This meant that the stronger one’s fundamentals were, the higher the bonus was. As their level increased, the effect of this talent would become greater and greater.

The other two effects of [Perfect Mechanical Sense] were also useful. The temporary increase of the Machinery Grade meant an enhancement of the machines’ basic attributes. In simpler terms, trashy gray equipment would have the same effect as green equipment when he used it.

The last effect of adding four levels to all Mechanic class active abilities while ignoring the level limit meant the Level10 [Surging Mechanical Force] had the effects of Level14.

Those who had this talent could be deemed as ‘one in more than a century’ Mechanic class geniuses.

High level, strong talent, Grade B+… Reynold was the strongest person Han Xiao had ever recruited.

This was a high-quality wild leek!

“You’re a Mechanic?”

“Yes.” Reynold nodded.

“You’re very strong, stronger than all of the officers under my command.”

Han Xiao took it very seriously. He told Phillip to show him Reynold’s mercenary resume. As he looked, he frowned slightly.

“The data shows you’ve worked as a mercenary for seven years, moved through five small mercenary groups. You were active in the Hyde Star System in the earliest days, only coming to the Garton Star System in the last two years. With your strength, it’s more than enough for you to become a high ranking officer in large mercenary groups, why have you been in these small mercenary groups?”

He then stared at Reynold with inquiry in his eyes.

With a serious tone, Reynold said, “Large mercenary groups are too safe. I need more dangerous challenges to increase my alertness.”

Han Xiao squinted. “Then why do you want to join mine? My mercenary group is a large one.”

“I’ve faced enough challenges. What I need now is to break through, to learn more knowledge, to reach a higher level,” Reynold answered with a very straight face.

“What you mean is, you want to step into the Calamity Grade?” Han Xiao raised his eyebrows.

“Yes.” Reynold nodded heavily. “This is also why I’m here.”

Then, he lowered his head slightly and said respectfully, “We are both Mechanics, and you have stepped into the territory of the Calamity Grade. To me, you’re a pioneer on this path, and I’m still exploring, so… I hope to receive your guidance. For that, I’m willing to work for you.”

So that’s his motive for joining… Han Xiao figured it out. It was not the Black Star Army’s privileges that attracted Reynold but my strength.

This guy is Grade B+ and wants to become Grade A. Hence, he came to find me, a Grade A Mechanic, to learn from, wanting to become my student. Well, this motive is nothing but logical; I don’t see a problem.

In the five Super classes, Mechanics and Mages were keenest to learn. Exchanging and communicating knowledge was common for these two classes. Han Xiao understood Reynold’s actions very well. It was just like the players who looked for NPCs to learn abilities from.

This isn’t a bad thing… Han Xiao pondered silently. Reynold had a lot of potential. After recruiting him, the Black Star Army would have one more elite officer.

Sylvia was his only student, so adding Reynold would not be a problem. With his Calamity Grade strength and knowledge level, it was more than enough to teach Reynold.

As for helping Reynold get to Grade A, it depended on personal potential. Since Reynold had [Perfect Mechanical Sense], becoming Calamity Grade was basically a certainty, except Reynold did not know that himself.

Han Xiao made the decision very quickly. He nodded and said, “I can teach you, but you need to sign a longer-term contract.”

“Of course.” Reynold nodded. He believed that returns only came with hard work; Black Star was already much more casual about it than he had expected.

“Since you’re a Mechanic… how about this? You will be responsible for the logistics. You shall manage the workshop factory and the product line in the base, building more production lines and carrying out daily maintenance, repairs, and technical adjustments. This will all be your responsibility; you can gather some people to help you.”

Letting Reynold manage the workshop factory was very suitable. With his abilities, the machines that he built would be more than enough to meet the players’ needs—it would be just as popular.

Plus, Reynold knew how to build product lines, and he also knew many blueprints. He was the only one that could help Han Xiao in terms of building!

This way, the job of building new product lines could be entrusted to Reynold from now on. Han Xiao did not have to do everything himself anymore. According to the needs of the hundreds of thousands of players, he would be able to save at least one to two months every year for other things!

After all, the production rate of a single person was limited; a logistics department had to be created.

“No problem.” Reynold was very content with this position. What he wanted to do now was just train peacefully—he did not want to go out and fight people.

All the candidates were done with the test. Phillip made the new mercenaries sign the contracts before sending the information to the Mercenary Alliance. This way, the new mercenaries were officially members of the Black Star Army.

Other than a number of talented people, Han Xiao let Phillip arrange the positions for the new mercenaries and told Sylvia and some senior mercenaries to show the newbies around to familiarize themselves with their job. After all that, the newbies would take on their positions.

He had recruited thousands of people this time, so including the older mercenaries, Black Star Army had about 8,000 NPC mercenaries. It was many times larger compared to before.

Compared to the number of players, there were still very few NPC mercenaries. It was very difficult for it to explode in size, so the only way was to keep recruiting and building the numbers up.

The biggest surprise this time was Reynold. Even Han Xiao was tempted by the Molding Talent [Perfect Mechanical Sense]. If he could obtain this talent, he would not only be tanky but stronger in all aspects!

Sadly, he had yet to find a way to obtain this Molding Talent. Reynold was not an enemy, and even if he was, it was not certain that he could obtain [Perfect Mechanical Sense].

No matter, Han Xiao had plenty of patience.

…

Two days later, the new mercenaries all started to carry out their jobs.

The training camp of Base No.1 was officially built, too.

The more than a thousand unselected freelance mercenaries became the first batch of students. As the only drill sergeant at the moment, Brock officially took on the job.

On the first day, he was so exhausted that he almost vomited blood.

Training mercenaries was not as simple as just speaking—there had to be physical hands-on combat lessons, which was quite easy to get injured from. To train more than a thousand people alone, the amount of work Brock had to do was almost pitiful; he had completely no time to do anything else. After an entire day, he felt like his bones were about to collapse.

Remembering that he had to continue such a taxing job the next day too, Brock felt his world spinning.

However, after the first day ended as a trainer, Han Xiao deliberately went to encourage him. Brock was instantly motivated and full of energy.

Han Xiao’s attitude gave him the wrong idea. Brock thought that his performance had been noticed by Black Star. Him getting this special job right after joining meant that he was important to Black Star.

After all, among all the candidates, he and that Mechanic called Reynold were the only ones that had received special treatment.

Black Star might be testing his abilities.

As long as he completed the mission as a drill sergeant and proved himself, he might be accepted by Black Star and promoted to a high rank officer!

Only after becoming a high rank officer would he be able to monitor the intelligence network of the Black Star Army.

Thinking about that, Brock decided to clench his teeth and hang on, not looking for an assistant and completing the mission alone. Only that way would he be able to prove his abilities to the highest degree, making an impression on Black Star!

“How dedicated…”

Inside his room, Han Xiao monitored Brock’s every move in his Chaos Body.

Indeed, people with ulterior motives were the easiest to use.

Deactivating Chaos Body and returning to his human body, Han Xiao straightened his clothing and walked out of his room. He went to the machinery modification room of the base where Reynold and Sylvia were waiting.

It was a lesson day.

Sylvia was used to Han Xiao giving her these privileges, but now there was another person to share her teacher with, she felt very uneasy. She secretly sized Reynold up from time to time, with an unexplained sense of hostility.

Reynold looked straight forward at Han Xiao with an extremely serious face.

From that day forth, he would be learning from Black Star. This was an opportunity that he had earned with a five-year contract. It was very important to him.

Han Xiao stood before the two of them, pondered, and said, “The strength difference between the two of you is too huge. Reynold, I will teach you first. Sylvia, you can observe from the side.”

The power difference between the two was way too high. The knowledge that seemed too deep for Sylvia would just be fundamental for Reynold. Of course, he was not going to teach them at the same time.

As soon as Han Xiao finished speaking, Sylvia opened her eyes wide. How could her teacher teach the newcomer first?

She instantly felt indignant and gave Reynold a fierce glare, only to realize that he was not even looking at her at all, so she could only bloat her cheeks and turn away angrily.

Bringing Reynold and the angry Sylvia aside, Han Xiao cleared his throat and prepared to start the lesson. This time, Reynold took out a pen and notebook with lightning speed from his pocket.

“Er, what are you doing?”

“Recording the lesson content.” With a very serious face, Reynold quickly jotted down this conversation.

After taking a peek at the notebook, Han Xiao’s mouth twitched, and he said, “There’s no need to note casual chitchat…”

“No, any parts missing is disrespectful for you.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better for you to video…”

“No, as a Mechanic, observing all the details is a way of training too.”

Reynold wrote down this conversation without hesitation, even drawing Han Xiao’s expression when speaking. The speed of a Mechanic’s hands was undoubtedly fast, so he was done recording almost as soon as Han Xiao finished speaking.

How stubborn. He’s more like a Mechanic than me…

Han Xiao now had a rough understanding of this new comrade of his. He then started to officially teach the lesson.

It was called a lesson, but it was more like sharing his knowledge. What Reynold really needed was High-End Knowledge. After all, it was very difficult for him to make money. Plus, he did not have as many channels as Han Xiao did. Hence, Han Xiao slowly explained the High-End Knowledge to him.

Reynold was not a player, so he could not learn it instantly and had to slowly absorb.

Reynold listened extremely carefully, and his pen never stopped moving. Sylvia was completely lost. This knowledge was too deep for her—she could not understand it at all.

Clenching her teeth, Sylvia forced herself to focus and memorize the content even though she did not understand it. Reynold’s appearance made her feel threatened; she did not want to get left far behind.

After teaching Reynold, Han Xiao then taught Sylvia.

Reynold did not leave however but listened at the side. Even though what Sylvia was learning was way too fundamental for him, he did not show any sign of being impatient and still listened attentively.

Time passed by slowly.

Han Xiao finally stopped his lesson. He looked at the time and announced the end of the lesson before leaving in a hurry to continue building his machines.

Sylvia and Reynold were the only ones left in the room, looking at each other.

“Er, if you have anything you don’t understand, I can teach you too.”

There were still many days ahead, so Reynold thought that he had to build a good relationship with Black Star’s apprentice. He gave a smile that he thought was very friendly and charming.

However, he rarely smiled, so his smile was ferocious no matter how it was looked at.

“Who needs you to teach me?” Sylvia rolled her eyes. “You’re new, so you should call me big sis, do you know that?”

Reynold frowned.

Oh no, is he angry? Sylvia suddenly felt a little regretful. Reynold could easily butcher her with one hand. He was even stronger than Herlous.

To make someone this strong lower his head to a barely Grade C Super, he would probably think it was a form of humiliation.

However, Reynold stayed silent for a while then nodded.

“Big sis,” said Reynold with a serious tone.

“Ah, are you really calling me that?” Sylvia was shocked. With an awkward face, Sylvia said in an unnatural tone, “I was just kidding.”

“No, you’re right. I just thought about it. Since I’m new, calling you big sis is what I should do. I was ill-mannered earlier, I apologize. Thank you for reminding me.”

There was not a single sense of unhappiness to be found on Reynold’s face. His expression was earnest, and his tone was serious as always.

Sylvia’s face stiffened. She found it difficult to deal with how serious Reynold was. She giggled and said, “No need. You don’t have to be so serious. You can just call me by my name.”

“No, I have to call you big sis, or it’s too disrespectful,” Reynold said solemnly. He even lowered his head to show his respect.

Sylvia felt her scalp tingle and could not take it anymore. She quickly carried her books and ran away.

…

After he finished interviewing the mercenaries, Han Xiao almost spent all the time in the days after that updating his combat mercenaries.

“It’s finally done!”

Ten days later, Han Xiao’s excited voice came from his personal machinery modification room.

In the room, a strong metallic stench lingered. There were even heat waves in the air caused by the high temperature of melting steel.

Han Xiao had long become accustomed to such a smell. He hurriedly took out the last machine from the rapid cooling box, transforming it into a compressed orb, before placing it on the desk.

The table in front of him was lined with compressed orbs, all of which were new-generation machines.

This new generation of machinery was crafted with his Grade A Mechanic skills. Be it technical content, attributes, functions, and power, it had completely surpassed the older generation of machinery created when he was at Grade B. Thus, the machines replaced all his old equipment to become his new primary weapons.

His previous generation of equipment was unable to keep up with the battles at the Calamity Grade and was relegated to backup equipment.

This time, Han Xiao’s comprehensive equipment outfitting could be said to be the largest scale he had done so far.

The original combat style had not changed; it was still his continuous stream of soldiers with the Army Style. Han Xiao had only strengthened these current styles.

Buzz!

With a flash of Mechanical Force, a portion of the compressed orbs were activated. Following the clanking sounds of machinery whirring to life, thirty-six new generation Hovering Shield Shuttles floated up, revolving around Han Xiao.

The new generation Hovering Shield Shuttle, codenamed [DT-03 Nano Transformed Floating Guard]. The whole set was labelled ‘Watcher Instrument’.

Compared to the Halo Array of the previous generation, many aspects of the Watcher Instrument showed a definite change. The first was the shape of the Hovering Shield Shuttles, which had turned into a diamond shape. They had more edges and corners, and the color had also changed from white to a deep red. The connecting lines gleamed brilliant gold from the Kyle Alloy used.

In terms of function, the most significant change was the energy. Each floating shuttle was equipped with an ultra-micronized plasma arc reactor. It adopted the process of cold nuclear fission to generate sufficient energy with extremely low radioactivity, giving them high power outputs. The power output could also be adjusted at will. This equipment set was immensely strong, a dark purple Grade.

With the addition of two more High-End Knowledges, [High Class Energy Control] and [High Energy Weapon Control], Han Xiao had utilized them to create this new generation of machinery. He had even raised the blueprints of his machinery to the highest level, obtaining some potential points to cover his original reserves. It took a total of twenty-one potential points to upgrade both high-end knowledges to level five and four respectively.

Thus, just in terms of looking at his energy portfolio, he had already obtained good technological skills for it.

This time, he focused on strengthening his equipment. Reforming the energy cores was one of the main objectives, and the majority of his machinery had basically been swapped out to now contain controlled nuclear fusion technology.

The blueprints of the nuclear fusion reactors also had different drawings. Of which, the Plasma Arc Reactors were the best grade of blueprints that Han Xiao had obtained. The technology could be summarized as internally energized to form a magnetic field, which would heat the plasma and promote the fusion reaction. Not only was it efficient, it was also clean and controllable.

Above this High-End Knowledge would be Cutting-Edge Knowledge, which was about the study of stronger yet more unstable energy sources, such as antimatter and psionic energies. Generally speaking, only the Star Cluster Civilizations would possess Cutting-Edge Knowledge, so Han Xiao had to be satisfied with High-End Knowledge for now.

In the short term, Han Xiao had no intention of getting any Cutting-Edge Knowledge. Because he specialized in the Virtual Mechanic profession, the Cutting-Edge Knowledge in the Energy and Armed Branches would now cost three times their initial potential points. He only had two extra potential points left.

With a flicker of his Mechanical Force, Han Xiao began to operate the Watcher Instrument, testing out various functions.

The first was the most basic artillery power. He had Phillip open the weapon test module of the machinery modification room, and an alloy wall rose from the ground.

Hum!

The golden lines of the Hovering Shield Shuttle started to glow with a blue light, and the edges and corners at the tip of the shuttle suddenly unfolded, turning into a circular caliber gun. A blue laser beam blasted out, easily penetrating the alloy wall, leaving a smoking hole that could be seen from both sides.

“The penetrative power is indeed strong…” Han Xiao nodded. While the interface had described the weapon’s attack power, he had a habit of testing it himself. He followed up by switching the weapon forms, testing the blasting type, assassination type, the subduing type, and the full blast type.

Because the energy output was controllable, it possessed multiple attack settings.

Han Xiao also tested the Watcher Instrument’s shield durability. Unlike the Halo Array, a single floating shuttle of the Watcher Instrument could form a shield, with a high durability attached to it.

The most convenient feature of the Watcher Instrument was its Nano-Transforming ability. They could be combined with each other to become a larger caliber floating cannon or shield, and they could also be turned into a hand-held cannon. The Watcher Instrument could even transform into battle mode, turning into a Berserk Ape mechanical suit. Each of the miniature plasma arc reactors would continuously supply the mechanical suit for a wide range of uses.

“It is indeed worthy of being a Grade A mechanic’s weapon.”

Without any additional machinery, Han Xiao believed that Herlous could be beaten with just this Watcher Instrument.

Satisfied with the floating shuttle, he activated another pile of compressed orbs.

This time, the machinery that unfolded was the Giant Mechanical Hand. After replacing its energy core, the various functions had been significantly improved.

The Giant Mechanical Hand had always been a multifunctional equipment. It belonged to the Prosthetic category of machinery, where it could be used to slap, and the fingertips and palms could release ion cannons. It could also be turned into a compressed orb to hide in one’s hands and feet to begin the series of chain attacks.

The machine could also be turned into an electromagnetic lock, used to suppress a target, or it could be changed into various tools to alter the terrain. It was quite versatile.

Han Xiao had also added new functions to the Giant Mechanical Hands. They could now merge with each other and become a single entity over hundreds of meters tall, akin to the Buddha’s Palm of legends.

They could also be combined into an aircraft vehicle. Although the Berserk Ape mechanical suit was capable of interstellar navigation, it was only for a single passenger. The combination of the Giant Mechanical Hands could carry a small squad.

Talking about aircraft vehicles, Han Xiao had also developed an important piece of machinery.

[Short-Range Hyperdrive Engine]!

This blueprint came as a result of combining [Basic Spatial Technology], [Advanced Radar technology], [Interstellar Navigation Technology], and [Advanced Applications for Quantum Entanglement].

Unlike the large hyperdrive engines of the interstellar spaceships, this short-range hyperdrive engine was mainly used by individual soldiers or small aircrafts.

Of course, even though it had short range in the name, that was only compared to the normal hyperdrives in spaceships.

The Short-Range Hyperdrive Engine also had a limit—it needed a long period of time to locate the coordinates. The short-range hyperdrive engine had a charging time of twelve seconds, where the user could not move or break the connection, or else they would experience coordinate deviation, which could be fatal.

And its minimum cooling time was two minutes.

The BlackLight Stealth’s microsecond hyperdrive was made by the Federation of Light, which was currently too complicated for Han Xiao to replicate.

Even though that was the case, his current device was still quite useful, allowing one to shift their troops strategically in a battlefield or to rush to a destination.

Han Xiao had already installed one of them in the Berserk Ape as well as some of the aircrafts. The effect was great, equivalent to a mechanical version of Hexflash [1. Hexflash is the shortened name for Hextech Flashtraption, a rune/skill seen in League of Legends (LoL).].

As for the burden shouldered by the single target while in hyperdrive, it was nonexistent to Han Xiao.

As a void species, his resistance to space was naturally extremely high.

Other than the enhancement to individual equipment, the Mechanical Army had also undergone significant innovations.

The first task was to fully restore the original four legions: Number 001, [Mechanical Beast Guards Army]; 002, [Strike Artillery Regiment]; 003, [G-1 Steel Army Corps]; and the Elite Troops Number 101, [Oathkeepers]. At the same time, Han Xiao had also slightly increased the size of the legions.

Building on these, Han Xiao had added another two legions.

Number 004, [G-2 Heavy Armor Riders]!

This unit consisted of 600 heavy-loaded mechanical soldiers. They resembled huge men riding on high-speed propulsion vehicles. Their way of attacking was charging forward as the vanguard, with a strong impact to cut through the formation of the enemy. These heavily armored riders were mainly melee, equipped with weapons such as high-temperature blades, high-speed drills, and spiral wheel saws. All the weapons could easily set off a bloody storm.

Number 005, [Mini Cube Troops]!

This was a special unit consisting of 1,500 micro-mechanical warfare soldiers. Such a mechanical soldier was dubbed the ‘magic cube robot’. It measured only the size of a normal human palm, but even if something was small it could still contain the essentials. They possessed a high level of combat quality, and their size could work to their advantage on some occasions. This was why Han Xiao had created this army.

This unit also possessed an auxiliary function. The drawings of the ‘magic cube robot’ was derived from the knowledge [Super Nanometer Force], which would allow them to combine with each other to form a larger mechanical soldier. Each individual cube could be understood as parts of a larger mechanical soldier, and these parts could move freely and reshape at any given time.

At present, the scale of his Mechanical Army had reached 20,000. The number was still rising, as new mechanical soldiers were still being produced every day in the workshop.

The extra manufactured mechanical soldiers would either be directly merged into the various legions or used as backups.

In addition, the weapons of all mechanical soldiers had been upgraded, such as adding shock converters to the melee weapons, high pressure blades, and so on.

Plasma cannons, heat ray cannons, and radiation guns had been added to the slew of ranged weapons. The enhancement was also reflected in the turret structure, as Han Xiao had created a new type of turret.

Ammunition and detonation bombs had also undergone a reformation, having new devices such as vacuum oxygen detonation bombs, space warping bombs, thermonuclear mines, miniature nuclear grenades, and the new orbital sniper bombs.

Other than the original combat mods, Han Xiao had created two more battle tactics.

The first was the Restrain and Control Style.

Han Xiao had obtained a blueprint of an electromagnetic superconductor particle, about the size of a grain of rice. He had manufactured a lot of them, and placing them in a pile made them resemble some sort of black sand.

Superconductor particles contained strong magnetism, which could be manipulated through mechanical force.

This set was also known as ‘Electromagnetic Adsorption Marsh’. When activated, the superconductor particles would resemble a black wave, carrying with them a strong electromagnetic force. Once they reached the target, the particles would entangle the target, releasing the adsorption force and binding the target.

The longer the controlling time, the wider the coverage of the superconductor particles, and subsequently, more difficult for the target to break free. Through mechanical force, the adsorption and its shape could be varied, which allowed this equipment to actively capture the target.

This was a strong crowd control device that lacked lethality. Han Xiao’s inspiration for this came from Ember’s fighting style, and Han Xiao’s electromagnetic adsorption marsh also controlled particles, which resembled Ember’s ability.

His second combat mode could be called the ‘Dirt Cheap Style’.

In his previous life, players had named this style as the Tactical Support Style.

A few months ago, when DarkStar attacked Planet Aquamarine, they had used the main cannon to strike at himself from outer space. That was called Tactical Support.

The essence of this mode was to summon missiles to scrub the ground, summon space-based weapons to strike down, summon fleet salvos… it was essentially an upgraded version of the Multi-Turret Firepower Coverage Style.

Also referred to as being gangster!

The Army Style would crush most mechanic styles. Only two schools of thought were the most troublesome opponents of the Army Style.

The first was the Virtual Intrusion Style—that was the Virtual Mechanic profession that Han Xiao specialized in.

The other was this Tactical Support Style.

Han Xiao dropped all his compressed orbs and looked toward the other side of the modification workshop.

Over there sat a giant machine.

It was actually an impact railgun!

Speechless, Han Xiao put the communicator away and thought on it.

Why is Ames going to Bloodshed Land? To make trouble?

Malekith had once said that Ames had some issues with Bloodshed Land. The Tyrant had taken one of her officers, and they had battled furiously, ending with Ames’ loss. Han Xiao felt that Ames was not going there with good intentions this time.

She insisted on bringing me. Does she want me to assist her and stop the Tyrant’s officers?

Han Xiao’s lips twitched. He was now Floating Dragon’s strongest officer. Back then, Ames did not have anyone whom she could use under her command. Now that she finally had someone who could fight, was she going to make full use of him?

There were plenty of strong people under the Tyrant. The eight Grade A Vanguard Officials were just the tip of the iceberg; Vanguard Officials were not the only position for their high-ranking officers. If Ames only took him along to Bloodshed Land, of course, she would end up being fine, but the same could not be said for him.

I hope we are not going there to fight… Han Xiao had a slight headache.

Hila had watched their conversation from the start till the end. Confused, she asked, “What kind of place is Bloodshed Land?”

“That’s a gathering ground for a group of muscular men. It’s just a dangerous place,” Han Xiao replied unhappily.

As Ames had told him to hurry up, Han Xiao did not delay any longer.

He found Reynold and told him to stay in Base No.1. Then, he found Sylvia and told her to take care of the other issues. This was just standard procedure; the one who was actually managing Base No.1 was Phillip, and Han Xiao could monitor the situation remotely. Hence, there were not that many things to say. The Black Star Army’s business could carry on as usual even though he was not in the base.

Settling these issues only took half an hour. Han Xiao gathered Hila and Aurora, who had now changed into new, neat clothes, and the three of them boarded the Blacklight Stealth, which was parked in the hangar.

Woo woo!

The rooftop gate of the hangar opened, and the anti-gravity stabilizer below the Blacklight Stealth activated, emitting a dark blue light.

The spaceship took off vertically, and a purple flame shot out from the thrusters.

In the blink of an eye, the spaceship turned into a stream of light and disappeared into the sky.

…

The Blacklight Stealth exited hyperdrive, slowly caught up with Floating Dragon Island, and docked.

“So, this is Floating Dragon Island…”

Disembarking from the spaceship, Aurora looked left and right curiously. She saw the brutes gathered on the dock immediately, who all looked fearsome. They were clearly not good people.

The brutes turned around and looked at them.

Hila saw this and quickly caught up with Aurora. She stood beside her and looked around at the brutes with alertness in her eyes, like a lioness protecting its child.

“Don’t be so nervous. Although Floating Dragon allows galactic pirates, scavengers, and wanted criminals to stop here, no fighting is allowed… Er, not usually of course. Ahem, anyway, they won’t bite.”

As Han Xiao spoke, he walked over to the two of them, then wrapped his arm around Hila shoulders and looked around. “Hey, what are you people still looking at?”

The brutes then all turned and looked away, continuing with their business. Han Xiao’s ride was too famous; no one wanted to mess with Black Star, on Floating Dragon Island especially.

Hila glanced at Han Xiao then looked at the hand on her shoulder and moved her body uncomfortably.

“My friend, you’ve returned again.”

This time, Wilsander’s voice came from nearby. He had gotten the news long ago and had been waiting to welcome Han Xiao.

What Han Xiao did not expect was that Jenny was there, standing right behind Wilsander.

He greeted Wilsander before looking at Jenny. He chuckled and said, “You’re here, too, huh? Work has been busy, I suppose; you look gaunter than the last time I saw you.”

Without any change to her expression, Jenny snatched a weapon from a guard and started firing at Han Xiao like a maniac.

Bang bang bang!

Han Xiao let the small-caliber laser land on his body without moving. This could not hurt him at all.

At the side, Aurora’s jaw dropped from watching this. Hila clenched her teeth, looking like she was wondering whether to stop it or not. Wilsander was shaking his head and sighing.

Ka ka ka!

When the firearm overheated and could not continue firing anymore, Jenny finally threw it away and coldly said, “Ames is waiting for you in the palace.”

Then, she turned and instantly walked away.

She knew that she could not hurt Han Xiao; she just wanted to vent her frustration.

As the Head Butler, Jenny had been as busy as a bee recently. Being very understanding, Han Xiao did not mind letting Jenny enjoy herself for a moment.

Anyway, this would not affect his actions. He would still expand as he planned to. Jenny’s relaxed time was over and never coming back, just like her youth.

Han Xiao patted his clothes, unconcerned. He turned to look at Hila and said, “Let’s go. I’ll take you to see Ames. Memorize the roads on the way.”

Speechless, the two of them looked at each other before nodding.

After bidding farewell to Wilsander, they went all the way to the palace at the center of the floating island.

The dragon bone throne floated in the palace. Ames was sitting on it, resting her head on her hand, and watching the three of them walk into the palace. She sighed and said, “Black Star, you’re so slow, only bringing them here after a few months.”

Han Xiao did not agree or disagree. Hila and Aurora bowed as a greeting.

Ames controlled her force field, lowering the height of the throne, and landed in front of the three of them. She smiled and said, “Alright, you will be my students from now on. You can call me teacher.”

“Teacher,” the two of them replied.

Ames was very pleased by that. Her smile became even more gentle. This was what she had once called Aesop. Now that she had her own students, it felt very special.

“Although our Esper abilities are different, I can teach you methods to develop yours using my experience, helping you to make use of your potential,” Ames said gently.

Hila nodded solemnly. “Okay, when do we start?”

She was a training maniac, and with such a strong teacher, she could not wait to start training.

However, Ames shook her head and said, “Not now. I want you guys to go somewhere with me.”

Han Xiao’s eyebrows twitched. “Bloodshed Land?”

“Yes, all three of you are coming with me.”

She’s bringing Hila and Aurora too? Then it seems like we’re not going there to fight… Han Xiao was relieved.

This was good news. He did not want to mess with the force of another Beyond Grade A out of nowhere.

However, to confirm Ames’ intention, Han Xiao still asked, “That’s Heber’s territory. I heard there were problems between you and him. Why are we going?”

Ames’ smile became dimmer as she slowly said, “The Tyrant is an ambitious guy. We don’t get along. He even once stole someone talented from me, but this time, we are not going there to cause trouble.

“Every once in a while, the Tyrant hosts an enormous party. He sends out invitation letters to the important people of the Shattered Star Ring. Almost everyone shows him respect and attends. There are high ranking government officials of Star Cluster civilizations, representatives of large organizations, and sometimes even emissaries of the three Universal Civilizations. Of course, the Beyond Grade As of Shattered Star Ring are invited, including me… Humph, despite that guy being a pain in the neck, he is a very unpredictable man. Back then, I battled through his headquarters, but the next party, the Tyrant still invited me.

“Anyway, the Tyrant’s parties have continued for many years. It has become an unspoken tradition between large organizations. This is a chance to make connections for many important people. The Tyrant has the ability to be the host. At the party, many important people will communicate and discuss various topics. A large amount of information will be leaked out every single party. The discussions between these people during the party decide the future developments of the Shattered Star Ring to quite a large extent.”

So that’s what this is… Han Xiao realized what was going on.

Simply put, the Tyrant hosted a Shattered Star Ring party, which people attended to make friends, chitchat, gossip, and all that. The difference was, the attendees all held very important positions, which, when all combined, could even decide the future of Shattered Star Ring.

Hosting this kind of gathering and turning it into a tradition for the high-class organizations… the Tyrant was indeed ambitious. His goal was massive.

“So, are you going to attend the Tyrant’s party?”

Han Xiao was surprised. Floating Dragon had always stayed neutral. Plus, considering Ames’ personality, she did not seem to care about this sort of thing.

“Of course I’m going!” Ames’ voice became deeper. “I don’t want to look so petty!”

What? What does this have to do with petty? Han Xiao was puzzled.

He then tried to think from Ames’ perspective and finally realized what Ames meant.

I hate his guts. How dare he invite me to join his party! To show he’s generous? F*ck, did he invite me because he thinks I won’t go? If I don’t go, doesn’t that show that I’m petty? Go! I must go! I’m generous and awesome, why would I be afraid of going!

To Han Xiao, he thought this guess was about at least ninety percent right. This seemed like the kind of thing Ames would think.

Then why bring me? Oh, because the Tyrant has so many strong people under his command, so Ames doesn’t want to lose on that front. That’s why she’s taking me there!

At least we’re not going there to make trouble… Han Xiao was a little puzzled and could only comfort himself this way. “When does the party start?”

“There’s still some time. We will leave tomorrow, heading straight toward Bloodshed Land’s headquarters.”

Bloodshed Land was located in the Seoul Star Cluster. If the Shattered Star Ring could be described in a flat 2D map, the middle would be the most dangerous, unstable cluster, filled with wormholes appearing and disappearing at random, connected to all places in the universe.

On the map, one side would be the edge of the known universe, beyond which was the unknown part of the universe that was unexplored.

The other side would be the tunnels toward other Star Fields that cover astronomical distances of the unpopulated desolate universe. That was how Risda had arrived, traveling through Star Fields for a very long time from another Star Field.

Surrounding the wormhole cluster were ten or so Star Clusters, all divided and controlled by the seven Star Cluster Civilizations of the Shattered Star Ring.

The Taralam Star Cluster was the closest to the wormhole cluster. It was plagued with scavengers. When Han Xiao was doing the Chen Xing missions, he had gone there once.

Between the Colton Star Cluster and Seoul Star Cluster was a desolate area. It could almost be considered their border.

On the other side of the Seoul Star Cluster was the largest Star Cluster, the Setin Star Cluster. Seoul was in the middle of Setin and Colton; it was the second smallest Star Cluster in the Shattered Star Ring.

In terms of government, the Star Cluster Civilization that ruled Seoul was called the Klent Kingdom, and the Star Cluster Civilization that ruled Colton was the Purple Crystal Civilization. These two civilizations coexisted peacefully. They had built many large Stargates in each other’s territory. Godora’s Stargate had been built by the Purple Crystal Civilization.

The Tyrant’s Bloodshed Land was the Klent Kingdom’s VIP. With a Star Cluster Civilization behind them, the Tyrant’s party represented both the influence of a Beyond Grade A and the position of a Star Cluster Civilization. Hence, so many people would attend.

“So, we’re going to the Seoul Star Cluster, right?” Han Xiao sighed. “Take my spaceship then.”

Smiling, Ames said, “That’s exactly what I thought.”

In the middle of Seoul Star Cluster, the stars shone brightly. A stream of light slashed across the universe, bolting through the darkness. It was the BlackLight Stealth in hyperdrive. On the ship were only Han Xiao, Ames, Hila, and Aurora.

After a few days, the four of them finally arrived at Seoul from Colton, passing through many stargates and Star Systems. When passing through the entry stargate from Colton to Seoul, they were even searched by the stargate station.

Klent Kingdom’s management of the Seoul Star Cluster was rather strict. They had set checkpoints around the entry stargates from other Star Clusters.

The entry stargate allowed teleportation across the desolate area between the two Star Clusters, saving a huge chunk of time. All the galactic travelers with a clean background would use the stargate, whereas those who took the path through the desolate region were mostly wanted criminals and secret organizations.

Bloodshed Land’s headquarters were in the heavily controlled Star System, the core Star System in the middle of the Seoul Star Cluster.

In the ship’s hall, Han Xiao looked at the location marked on the star map and curled his lips.

“Planet Heber. Tsk tsk… he used his own name for the headquarters, such a…” Just a Han Xiao was about to comment, he suddenly realized that he had done the same thing, so he instantly changed his sentence. “Such a wise choice!”

“Are we almost there?” Aurora looked at the star map curiously and realized that she could not understand it.

“The hyperdrive will end in about ten minutes and twenty-seven seconds.” Han Xiao looked at the control panel presented by Risda. The spaceship was on autopilot at the moment, and all four of them were at the hall.

Aurora turned and asked, “Teacher, is Planet Heber similar to Floating Dragon Island?”

Ames lay down sideways on the sofa, elegant and casual. She smiled and said, “Different, Planet Heber’s costs are higher. It’s a modified planet, built by Klent Kingdom with Star Cluster level technology. It’s more like a portable fortress. It’s Heber’s second strongest weapon.”

Star Cluster Civilizations’ ability far exceeded that of Star System Civilizations; they were on completely different levels. The most obvious difference was mobility—Star Cluster Civilizations could build stargates, so their transport speed was countless times faster than Star System Civilizations’.

Also, Star Cluster Civilizations had the technology to build planet-grade battleships, the most common one being the Planet Mining Mothership. It could ‘devour’ an entire planet, breaking it down inside and turning it into all kinds of resources.

For example, Planet Heber was a planet-grade space fortress built by Klent Kingdom.

“Second strongest? Then what’s the Tyrant’s strongest weapon?” Hila asked with a serious expression. She was more interested in the abilities of the strongest people in the Shattered Star Ring.

“His strongest weapons is, of course, his own body.” Ames shook her head. “He can use his physical body to penetrate straight through a planet.”

“Impossible!” Aurora exclaimed.

Han Xiao had Phillip search for Heber’s history. It seemed like there was more than one record of him crashing through a planet. Rather, it looked like it was Heber’s usual activity.

“Heber’s body is extremely strong. Mud and stones cannot stop him. The high-density rock layer under deep under the surface is as fragile as paper to him, and lava is his bathing water. Even a planet’s core isn’t hot enough to burn him. Maybe a Fixed Star could hurt him, but not a planet, so crashing through a planet is not a challenge for him.” Ames sighed.

Heber was almost her nemesis, yet even the highest strength force field could not tear Heber apart. Heber could move freely even under the pressure. If she used Floating Dragon to hit him, it would be shattered by Heber instead. The nemesis of force field type Espers was indeed this kind of indestructible enemy. After all, although force field Esper abilities were well rounded, it was more toward controlling—damage was not its strength.

Despite Ames being carefree, she was not ignorant. She knew her own weaknesses.

Hila frowned and kept silent. Heber’s strength currently exceeded her knowledge range, so she did not know what to say.

“Heber penetrating a planet is like a sniper bullet penetrating several planks.” Han Xiao shook his head. A Beyond Grade A Pugilist was terrifyingly powerful.

After chatting for a while, the Blacklight Stealth finally exited hyperdrive state. The light tunnel outside the porthole disappeared, and the universe reappeared.

Right under the spaceship, a small, metallic planet entered their sights. Its color seemed solemn and serious.

Planet Heber!

Han Xiao received a communication request from Planet Heber. If they did not identify themselves and continued loitering around Planet Heber, they would be deemed as an enemy.

Ames had the invitation letter, so after verifying their identity, Planet Heber sent the parking coordinates. Han Xiao told Risda to control the spaceship and land at the given location.

As Planet Heber was a moving fortress like Floating Dragon, it did not have natural sunlight. The top of it was covered with thick, dark artificial clouds to block the radiation from the universe.

The spaceship slowly descended. After passing through the black clouds, Planet Heber’s surface appeared in their eyes.

Planet Heber was mainly made up of cold and dark colors; there was almost nothing dramatic.

Castle-like buildings stood tall, and tons and tons of bases were like mountains. These buildings emitted a dark blue light. It was somewhat futuristic and mysterious. Advanced technology seemed to be a planet-wide theme. Between the many bases, there were gigantic hollow-in-the-middle circular devices up to two kilometers tall. A purple light was rippling at its hollow part like it was operating as something.

Above the bases, battleship fleets patrolled.

This was a planet-level armored fortress!

Hila and Aurora were stunned.

The Blacklight Stealth landed at a dock between the bases. When they got out of the spaceship, a group of people were already waiting there. They were all Bloodshed Land soldiers, led by the Vanguard Official Malekith.

“Your Excellency Dragon Emperor, thank you for accepting the invitation. Welcome to Bloodshed Land.”

Malekith gave a common bow. He had personally delivered Ames’ invitation letter.

Ames did not reply. She looked at the surroundings, snickered, and said, “It’s been a while since I last came. This place is boring as always. Heber really has no taste.”

“Battleships and fortresses are the best decorations,” Malekith replied. When he saw Han Xiao beside Ames, his eyes gleamed, and he said coldly, “Black Star, I said we would soon meet again.”

Han Xiao raised his eyebrows, played dumb, and said, “Who are you? I’ve never seen you before.”

“…”

The others looked over and stared at him.

“Alright, I was kidding.” Han Xiao curled his lips.

Bloodshed Land’s people were really interesting, trying to pick them apart as soon as they met. Malekith deliberately used such an ambiguous tone to hint that he had met Black Star privately before.

Han Xiao did not tell Ames that he had met Malekith before, and Ames had once had someone stolen from her side. Due to the previous incident, she should be very sensitive to this. If she knew that her trusted officer had met with Bloodshed Land privately again, she would probably not be happy with him.

Malekith looks like a savage with a small brain, but he’s actually quite dirty, isn’t he?

Okay, I will remember this.

A sharp green light flashed through Ames’ eyes. She stared at Malekith and deliberately said, “What are you guys trying to do to my people again?”

“Your Excellency Dragon Emperor, don’t be so sensitive. Black Star and I just happened to meet. That’s all,” Malekith replied calmly.

Ames squinted and turned to look at Han Xiao.

Han Xiao had nothing to hide, so he honestly replied, “He found me and wanted me to leave Floating Dragon to join Bloodshed Land. Tsk tsk, he gave me some good terms.”

“And? What did you say?” Ames asked with a faint smile.

“Had I agreed, he wouldn’t have brought this up again.” Han Xiao shrugged.

Ames smirked, turned to Malekith, and said, “Hear that? Give up your tricks and lead the way.”

Seeing that the provocation did not work, Malekith did not speak anymore and led the way.

There were still a few days till the party, but many people had already arrived. Bloodshed Land had prepared many rooms for the guests to rest in.

The four of them headed toward the rooms. As they passed through the numerous bases, patrolling soldiers and carriers were everywhere.

Han Xiao had time on the way to observe all sorts of facilities in Bloodshed Land. It was similar to how he remembered. In his previous life, there had also been players that were recruited by Bloodshed Land, so he remembered the map structure of Planet Heber.

If I remember correctly, the Planet Heber’s surface is just a small part. There are bigger strongholds underground, Han Xiao recalled.

This time, the voice of a stranger suddenly came from not far behind them.

“Long time no see, Ames.”

Han Xiao’s first intuition was that the tone of this person sounded very taunting.

They turned around. A team of soldiers crowded around a man appeared behind them, the man was the one that spoke. He wore an exquisite robe and had a more feminine than masculine face, staring at Ames with a mocking expression.

The look in Ames’ eyes slightly changed when she saw this person. “Carroll.”

Carroll’s unrestrained eyes scanned Ames’ gorgeous face, snow-white neck, flat abdomen, and her thin, long legs, sizing her up fearlessly. He snickered and said, “I left Floating Dragon so long ago, but you’re still as beautiful as before.”

Ames’ face was cold and indifferent.

Han Xiao noticed Ames’ abnormal reaction; it seemed like her relationship with this guy named Carroll was unusual. He turned and glanced at Malekith and saw the rubbernecking expression on this broken horn Demon’s face.

I see, Carroll is Ames’ ex-subordinate… Han Xiao realized.

If Carroll had resigned normally, Ames would not have said anything. Instead, Carroll had openly deserted and joined Bloodshed Land with a high profile. He had even given away some of Floating Dragon’s technological secrets and their map structure. Plus, he was now in a high position. To Ames, this was no doubt a betrayal. She felt hostile toward Bloodshed Land, even more so toward Carroll. Back then, when she battled toward Planet Heber, she had most likely had another goal—to kill Carroll. Only, she had been stopped by the Tyrant.

The truth was just as Han Xiao speculated; Ames and her old subordinate Carroll had become enemies long ago.

“To dare come and look for me, are you tired of living?” Ames said coldly.

Carroll had the Tyrant to rely on, so he was confident and unafraid. With a derisive smile, he said, “This is Bloodshed Land’s headquarters. What, do you want to kill the Tyrant’s logistics manager here? By the way, I heard you found an insect to replace my position. Hehe, you have quite a heavy taste.”

With an expressionless face, Ames started to get intense.

Hila and Aurora noticed that the atmosphere was not right and became alert.

However, Carroll did not hold back at all. It was clear that he had come just to provoke them. He turned to look at Han Xiao and casually said, “Black Star? So, you’re Ames’ new officer? I can be considered your senior, do you want some advice and tips?”

“Tips?” Han Xiao raised his eyebrows. He was just standing aside and did not speak, but unexpectedly, Carroll spoke to him.

“That’s right, I know her very well, and I have a feeling you need my guidance.” Carroll shrugged and mocked, “After all, you like being her pet—shouldn’t you know what your master likes?”

“Wow, this is the first time I’ve met someone who’s even more of an ass than me.” Han Xiao could not hold back his laughter. “Pal, do you sometimes have like punching yourself in the face when you look into a mirror?”

Carroll had thought that Han Xiao would be angered by his provocative words, so he was choked by this completely unexpected reaction. He paused then spoke again with mockery. “Don’t get angry, I’m just speaking the truth. You’re the same as the old me, just her pet. The difference is, you’re just my replacement. Without you, there will be a Red Star or a White Star to replace you.”

Han Xiao stroked his chin. Before he could return the taunt, Ames spoke first.

“Black Star is not like you; he’s more trustworthy than you.”

“Oh, then you’ll have to be more careful.” Carroll stared at Han Xiao with a sneer. “The more she trusts you, when you want to abandon her, the more determined she’ll be to kill you… Hehe, you’re probably worse than a pet, just a slave tied to her side.”

This guy sure talks a lot of trash… Han Xiao rolled his eyes. A few words were far from enough to anger him.

Then, Carroll looked at Ames again, this time with even more apparent lust. “Did you know this? I once did not even have the courage to raise my head in front of you, but now…”

“I have no interest in what you think.” Ames stopped Carroll from speaking. With an ice-cold look in her eyes, she raised her hand and said slowly, “Since you’re deliberately taunting, it seems like you’re prepared to bear the consequences.”

Boom!

As soon as her sentence ended, a powerful force field appeared, and the ground cracked open inch by inch under the extremely heavy pressure. The force field headed straight toward Carroll.

This time, three roars came from around the place. Three shadows moved swiftly in front of Carroll, and thick Pugilist flames rose from their bodies.

The three of them blocked the force field with all their might.

The three of them were all Grade A Bloodshed Land Vanguard Officials, one being Malekith.

In an instant, an impact wave exploded, and the Bloodshed Land soldiers around all turned into rolling stones, falling and rolling away.

The three Vanguard Officials were sent flying, too. They launched a wave of energy midair to stop the momentum, landed on the ground, and stared at Ames with caution.

It had taken all three of them to stop Ames’ one simple force field attack.

“As expected.” The look in Ames’ eyes became darker, and the air started to vibrate.

The attack earlier was just the most casual, simple hit from Ames, and now she was going to get serious.

Ohm!

A much stronger force field brewed, and the ground and buildings around started to crack.

Seeing this, Han Xiao had no choice but to take a few steps forward to stand in front of Ames. With a flash of Mechanical Force, Watcher Instrument hovered behind him in a circle, like a circle of light behind his head.

A dark light appeared in the barrel of the Hovering Shield Shuttle, targeting the enemies. Han Xiao smirked and said, “So, do you guys want to duel or fight me together? I’m fine with anything.”

The eyes of the tree Vanguard Officials including Malekith all sparkled with anticipation.

Despite saying so, Han Xiao knew that the fight was not going to happen. This was Bloodshed Land’s showcase of power; the Tyrant would definitely interfere. After all, they were guests no matter what. Plus, Heber would not allow Ames to destroy his party.

Nonetheless, he still had to express his stand. He could not stand aside and let Ames face the enemies alone.

Just when everything was about to erupt, a new energy force arose from far away, shooting straight up into the sky, as if flooding over the entire Bloodshed Land. Even the star lights in the sky seemed to have lost their color and become dimmer.

Boom!

From a distant place, the voice of a person appeared, deep and loud, like the sound of thunder.

“Ames, fighting in my territory, are you ignoring my existence‽”

As soon as he heard this voice, Han Xiao immediately felt the menacing tone.

Subconsciously, this reminded him of what he had felt when he went to the zoo during his previous life and faced the roar of a tiger.

The Tyrant, Heber!

Everyone looked toward the source of the sound. The sound came from the middle district of Bloodshed Land and the location of Heber’s palace.

Ames’s eyes gleamed coldly, and she looked at Hila and Aurora before letting out a soft sigh. Her palm was then lowered and hidden within her sleeves. She was no longer planning on taking action, and the force field that had been brewing disappeared.

The tense atmosphere relaxed in that instant.

She then looked at Carroll and Malekith who had blocked her attack and calmly said, “Don’t just stand there, lead the way.”

When she decided to accept the invitation of the Tyrant, Ames had already predicted that something like this would happen. Her previous attack had already displayed her attitude. However, since the Tyrant had interfered personally and she was in his territory, she did not want a greater conflict to break out. After all, she did not come here to create trouble.

Malekith nodded and led the way.

Han Xiao then turned around to glance at Carroll.

Carroll did not say another word as he witnessed Ames’ departure. He then retracted his smile and shook his head at the other two Vanguard Officials. “I thought that she would continue attacking despite the warning. Although I made sure not to go too far, with my understanding of Ames, this level of provocation should have been enough to enrage her.”

Another Vanguard Official then said with a sigh, “The Dragon Emperor has changed. The rumors are true. She indeed wants to expand.”

The Black Star Army represented Floating Dragon’s expansion. Many organizations had noticed this situation, and Bloodshed Land was no exception.

Carroll’s mission was to probe Ames’ attitude. The majority of his words were targeted at Black Star and did not directly humiliate Ames. Through Ames’ reaction, they would be able to gain plenty of information. If she truly wanted to expand, she would not provoke a greater conflict.

…

At the same time, in Heber’s palace, only Heber and a Klent emissary were present. The footage of Ames and her entourage was displayed on the screen.

The Klent Kingdom placed great importance on the Tyrant’s gathering and treated this as an important diplomatic mission. The emissary was a high official in the Klent Kingdom and personally attended the gathering to show the close ties between the Tyrant and the Klent Kingdom.

The Klents usually had slim figures, and when standing beside the seven-meter-tall Heber, the emissary seemed extremely tiny.

“Your Excellency Tyrant, you are as powerful as ever. You do not even need to make an appearance and can make the Dragon Emperor back down with a single roar. I still thought that I would be able to witness the majestic appearance of Your Excellency taking action,” the Klent emissary said with a respectful tone.

“Hmm.” Heber shook the gigantic, specially-made wine glass in his hands without saying a thing.

“It’s a pity. If only she had decided to take action.” The Klent emissary shook his head and smiled.

“The gathering this time is a huge event. She will offend many big shots if she creates trouble. Since she wants to expand, she won’t take action,” Heber said calmly.

“Aren’t you afraid of her taking revenge after the gathering?” The Klent emissary chuckled. “She is someone who would do something like that.”

“Isn’t that what you guys would like to see the most?” Heber asked calmly.

“Haha, you are right. That would give you an excuse to suppress Floating Dragon Island.” The Klent emissary laughed. He was the one who wanted to see Ames go all out without any consideration the most. “Even the Purple Crystal Civilization wouldn’t stop you from entering Colton with this reason.”

Heber glanced at him and could not be bothered to reply. While both parties were in an alliance, their motives were different.

The Klent emissary looked at Ames’ figure on the screen and muttered to himself, “Ames… tsk tsk. If I could obtain such a woman who has the halo of a beyond Grade A Super, all other women would pale in comparison to her.”

With his status and authority, he had countless partners, and appearance was no longer what he cared about the most. Status and identity were what made a woman more charming in his eyes. As the only female among the four beyond Grade A Supers in the Shattered Star Ring, Ames was naturally the woman who was the hardest to tame.

A Star System level civilization did not dare provoke a beyond Grade A Super, but to a Star Cluster level civilization, while a beyond Grade A Super was powerful, they would not be that wary of one.

Only a gigantic organization like the Tyrant’s would be of significance to a Star Cluster level civilization.

Thus, the Klent emissary did not mind displaying his desire for Ames. In any case, it was no more than a thought.

“I hate willful women,” Heber said slowly. “Her character needs to be polished more.”

Upon hearing that, the Klent emissary shook his head. Ames was no more than a thought for him, but Heber was the one with the capability to take action.

…

Han Xiao and the others were on their way to the guest room.

After the previous conflict, the mood of the group was a little downcast.

“Black Star don’t think too much,” Ames suddenly said. “Carroll said those words on purpose.”

“I know.” Han Xiao shrugged in response.

“They should’ve been following Heber’s instructions,” Ames explained. “I wonder what his intentions are. Aesop predicted that this gathering would be different and asked me not to act rashly.”

It turned out that Ames had already gotten Aesop to make a prophecy. Perhaps Aesop had also recommended that she come for this gathering.

“Carroll was one of the earliest members of Floating Dragon. However, he betrayed me for the Tyrant, gaining a high status in Bloodshed Land.”

Han Xiao stroked his chin and said, “To allow a traitor to take on an important position, the Tyrant is truly charismatic.”

Do not use an individual you doubt, and do not doubt an individual you use. Heber definitely needed to offer extremely plentiful conditions in order to poach people. When Malekith tried poaching him, Malekith had also offered him the position of Vanguard Official.

“He is the Tyrant, so he is not afraid of betrayals.”

“Why?”

“When Carroll betrayed me, the Tyrant was able to protect him, but if he betrays the Tyrant, no one in the Shattered Star Ring will be able to protect him.” Ames let out a sigh. “Furthermore, I have to admit that the Tyrant is far more charismatic a leader than I am.”

“Are you very wary of him?” Han Xiao said with his brows raised. “I still thought that you weren’t afraid of anything.”

“Of course, I am not afraid of him, but no matter how much I hate him, I cannot change the fact that he is extremely powerful.” Ames shook her head and paused for a moment before continuing. “Thus, try to remain low profile in the Tyrant’s territory. You don’t have to be angry because of Carroll. He said those words intentionally.”

Ames looked at Han Xiao and took the initiative to give an explanation. She was afraid that Han Xiao would take those words to heart.

Han Xiao felt warmth in his heart. He did not mind what Carroll had said but did not think that Ames would care about his feelings.

According to his understanding of Ames, she did not seem like the person who would care about others.

“I feel that you have changed.”

“How have I changed?” Ames smiled.

“You are more patient than before.”

Ames smiled and did not reply. She then turned around to look at Hila and Aurora.

“Aesop said that only a little child would act in such a willful manner. He asked me to change. If not, I will suffer a loss one day.”

Han Xiao rolled his eyes and replied, “That old Aesop is still so shameless. How does he have the right to say such a thing?”

“I think so too.” Ames broke out into a bright smile and chuckled.

…

The guest room provided was located in a building to the side of Heber’s palace. It was a gigantic castle that was made up entirely of guest rooms. There were already some guests who were currently staying in the guest rooms.

There were still a few days before the official start of the gathering, and many organizations would come earlier. The few days before the official start of the ceremony was the best chance to network and expand their social circle. After all, it was a rare opportunity for the big shots of the various organizations to gather together.

Malekith led the way into the castle.

At the moment, the main hall was filled with guests in small groups. The guests were all of different races and came from the different organizations of the Shattered Star Ring.

Upon hearing someone walk in, all the guests turned around to take a look. After recognizing that the incoming guest was Ames, all of them had strange looks on their faces. They wanted to come up to give their greetings but seemed to be wary about something and thus remained on the spot without moving.

All of them had heard the loud roar of the Tyrant. Since Ames and Heber had already clashed, they all felt that it was better for them to suck up to the Tyrant. Thus, no one stepped forward to strike up a conversation with her.

Ames could not be bothered, and their group left the main hall toward the rooms.

Bloodshed Land had prepared the rooms for them. Ames had her own room, Han Xiao had his own room, and Hila and Aurora shared a room.

When they got back to the rooms, Han Xiao was left alone.

He then activated a compressed orb, and it transformed into a detection device. After scanning the room, he confirmed that there were no listening devices.

Han Xiao nodded and took out another machine.

Buzz!

A brilliant beam of light flashed, and a holographic image covered the entire room. Even if there was a magic monitoring device, only the holographic image would be captured, and they would not be able to tell what he was doing.

While there were many big shots living in the castle and there should not be any listening devices, Han Xiao was used to being careful.

“Carroll…”

Han Xiao’s eyes flashed, and he transformed into his Chaos Body. Activating his Void Vision, his sight ignored all physical distance, and he could monitor Carroll’s actions.

The instant Ames had decided to step back, Han Xiao had planted an Observer’s Mark on Carroll and removed the position of the space pirate.

The Observer’s Mark was only there as a precautionary measure. In times of emergency, this Observer’s Mark could come in handy.

Furthermore, Carroll was the Logistics Manager of Bloodshed Land and could come in contact with important equipment and blueprints frequently. Han Xiao felt that there would be a lot to gain from him.

I can make use of the Observer’s Mark to gather intelligence during the gathering, Han Xiao thought to himself.

In his previous life, none of the players had discovered the Tyrant’s gathering because they were not able to reach such a level. This was the first time that he had heard about the gathering.

While there was a conflict along the way, this gathering should be relatively safe.

Ames was probably there to show her presence, but this was an extremely good opportunity to gather intelligence for Han Xiao. Han Xiao decided to make use of it well. With all the participants of the gathering being big shots, they might be able to reveal some important information. With his memory of the various storylines, a small hint would allow him to think of many things.

The Version refresh had always been something of great importance to Han Xiao. After all, the players in his previous life had only received very vague details of the exact timing of the refresh. Han Xiao needed greater details and hoped to gain some insights from this gathering.

There was no suspense in that crushing battle. With Bret’s troops being completely destroyed, the battlefield that was crisscrossed with artillery fire turned completely silent, with corpses and metal debris floating all around.

Han Xiao had cooperated with the forces of Jayne and Gadeli, driving the 3rd Generation Ship Destroyer straight into the enemy’s fleet like a knife to vegetables. The enemy fleet had no way to retaliate. After all, he currently possessed two interstellar combat methods. Virtual Intrusion served as internal disturbance, whereas driving the Giant Soldier was just mindless violence.

For such a small fry, why was there a need to utilize Virtual Intrusion? Just cut through them like a hot knife through butter, that would be more enjoyable.

In the past, Han Xiao had seen battlefields where thousands of battleships bombarded each other and had even participated in such battles himself. Compared to the large-scale artillery warfare density, this small-scale operation did not give him any pressure. There was no difficulty in controlling his mechanical suit to avoid and hide.

The 3rd Generation Ship Destroyer was also a crucial factor. Han Xiao had spent a lot of effort to perfect the blueprint of this giant mechanical suit. He had lost count how much materials he had poured into it. This sort of ship destroyers would show the greatest effect in such small-scale interstellar warfare. A 3rd Generation Ship Destroyer cost at least 3.5 million Enaus, which was more than some small high-end battleships. If it was the him two years ago, this sum of money would have hurt him.

But right now, it only made a sizeable dent.

The ability of the Black Star Army to rake in gold could even destroy Floating Dragon Island. Han Xiao faintly remembered that the last time he checked the account balance, there seemed to be more than 80 million Enaus worth of liquid funds, and their fixed assets were several times that number. This was far less when compared to a financial group, but he could be considered a young and promising leek scholar [1. Loosely translated, it refers to an organization that profits off dumping of stocks and shares to force a drop in the market before capitalizing on it.]. Oh no, a better word would be a powerful leader.

Originally, Jayne and Gadeli’s troops were supposed to be the main attackers, but the moment Han Xiao entered the battle, he immediately snatched away their position as he dominated the fight. They ended up only being able to contain the enemy and watch the whole process. Watching Han Xiao control the Giant Soldier, his style gave them a deep impression, which could be summed up as…

Stylish!

Luxurious!

Mischievous!

The Third Generation Ship Destroyer had also received some minor damage, along with losing a large amount of its fuel in just this short battle time. Han Xiao retreated in the 3rd Generation Ship Destroyer, returning to the Blacklight Stealth and regrouping with Jayne and Gadeli. The three of them left the crime scene as one whole, heading toward the nearest unmanned planet for a rest.

“You guys did a good job.” Dodder contacted the trio, praising their success.

The reward was already transferred into each person’s accounts, and Han Xiao received a notification to show that his mission had been completed. The Favorability of the Purple Crystal Civilization had also risen slightly as a result.

“Everyone should have some sort of speculation in their hearts. That’s right—this was a simple test for us to select some reliable unofficial armies to cooperate with us. You have all demonstrated your strength, and we hope to have a happy cooperation in the future.”

Jayne and Gadeli immediately exclaimed. They had thought that since their limelight had been stolen away by Black Star, they would no longer have an opportunity. Thus, they got excited.

“With the chaos present in the Shattered Star Ring during the past two years, we think that the future will be host to even more unpredictable and complex dangers,” Dodder explained. “Thus, we have planned to secretly form an organization of various armies. We’re looking for more people of your caliber to cooperate with us, to defend the Colton Star Cluster in secret. As for the specifics, I can’t disclose them to you yet, but what I can reveal is that we’re building a secret army, and all of you are potential candidates.”

A secret organization comprised of various armies?

Han Xiao perked up. He recalled which storyline this was at last.

In Version 3.0 ‘Crimson Tide’, due to the flurry of activity all around, joining a faction had become a sort of culture. It was not just the Purple Crystal Civilization, but many Star Cluster Civilizations also recruited various armed forces to aid them in times of need, creating a secret organization much akin to the Protectors.

For example, the Shattered Star Ring Mercenary Alliance in Version 3.0 was one of such products of combining various armed forces.

The allied organizations would form the basis of the factions that the players could join in on Version 3.0, and their choices were plenty.

Han Xiao recalled that the organization formed by the Purple Crystal Civilization was codenamed ‘Section Zero’. It referred to the hidden organizations and departments of the Purple Crystal Civilization. The members within were strong and came from various galaxies, accepting a long-term employment from the Purple Crystal Civilization in exchange for resources.

In other words, both Jayne and Gadeli would likely be comrades in the future.

Han Xiao would never reject such a good deal, and furthermore, he would still have to approach the Purple Crystal Civilization in order to obtain the Cutting-Edge Knowledge he required. Just his title as a member of Section Zero would net him quite a few benefits. This was a connection to having a long-term cooperation with a Star Cluster Civilization.

In his previous life, when the players entered Version 3.0, the joint organizations had already been formed way ahead of time. What the players gazed on was merely the end product, but what was before Han Xiao right now was the early stage of the preparation for the joint organizations. This was obviously a bigger opportunity for him!

Even without his shameless self-recommendation, the Purple Crystal Civilization already had him in their sights. His position today would not have been possible without all his hard work to manage his faction as well as the blood, sweat, and tears of the players.

If he could become the main force behind Section Zero, this would be akin to raising his reputation in the Shattered Star Ring, which would boost his name to become one of the first-rate organizations within the Colton Star Cluster.

This was his own shortcut to a higher level of prestige!

“If I receive a reasonable pay for my efforts, I would be pleased to,” Han Xiao replied.

Jayne and Gadeli also recovered from their ecstasy and hurriedly replied, expressing their willingness to join in this organization.

“You will not be disappointed with the remuneration. At present, the organization is still in selection. When it is formally established, there will be many huge missions,” Dodder replied.

This move from the Purple Crystal Civilization was akin to military conscription on Earth. The Purple Crystal Civilization initially had a fixed number of organizations that were in cooperation with it, but in the past two years, Klent had been restless, which had led to the Purple Crystal Civilization having a premonition that there would be a conflict with them sooner or later. As the conflict intensified, there was a chance of a secret war happening.

The so-called secret war was merely both sides screaming at each other to ‘come get a piece of me’, yet refusing to declare war on each other. Instead, they would secretly use their affiliated organizations to attack the other party, cutting off their wings. This is a torturous method under the Peace Treaty, where the killing and killed was all borne by the allied organizations.

Of course, the Star Cluster Civilizations knew the theory that if you wished to have good race horses, you had to allow the horses to graze. They were immensely generous with their benefits and were able to support the resource needs for the allied organizations. It could be said that as long as an organization could survive this secret war and cooperate as the pawns of the civilization, they would face a qualitative change and rush toward the sky in one shot.

Han Xiao understood the idea of the Purple Crystal Civilization. If he wished to develop and aim higher, it would be impossible to do so without facing danger. While he had a good organization at the moment, expansion would not happen on its own. Han Xiao knew that he had to correct his position at any given time.

Unless Ames became a collaborator with the Purple Crystal Civilization, he would not have enough leverage nor say when against a Star Cluster Civilization. He had not reached a point where he could haggle with a civilization of that level. The Purple Crystal Civilization was not begging him to join, but rather, this was a chance for him to properly develop his forces, which was essentially a fair deal.

As long as the reward was enough, he did not mind fighting for them. Right now, he was no longer the past self where he was weak and needed to be careful with every step. With enough strength and capabilities, he could bravely charge in.

Unlike Jayne and Gadeli who had expressions of joy, Han Xiao had already begun to deduce the consequences of his every choice.

A secret war… Han Xiao stroked his chin.

This was one of the most important storylines for Version 3.0. If one ignored the complicated interests behind Crimson Tide, the theme of Version 3.0 could be summarized in one word: fighting!

The various allied organizations would be in conflict with each other, and Section Zero would also have to face off against the Klent Kingdom many times. They certainly would not be excluded from the battlefield.

As long as the Tyrant did not appear, everything could be settled. He was not afraid of any other muscle-heads at all, and he had never been afraid of people at the same level as him.

Swoo!

At this time, the sound of a spaceship passing by was suddenly heard above them. Han Xiao stopped his communication and quickly looked up, seeing a small and exquisitely designed single-person spaceship. It was not known when this spaceship had entered the planet.

“Coincidentally here to collect some resources?” Jayne asked.

“Unclear.” Gadeli shook his head in return.

The single person spaceship’s hatch opened, and a woman dressed in white robes floated out in midair, with a white colored cat mask on her face. She surveyed the surroundings with a cold expression.

“Who are you?” Gadeli shouted out. Toward this uninvited guest, he could not help being vigilant upon feeling the powerful fluctuations coming from her.

This was a Calamity Grade Super!

Shana ignored him, instead looking around before her gaze landed on Han Xiao. She blandly asked, “Black Star?”

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and did not answer. He faintly felt that this visitor had unkind intentions.

“It doesn’t matter even if you do not answer. You can’t escape today.” Shana swept her eyes across before muttering to herself, “Three Calamity Grades, a little tough.”

Ka ka ka!

The next instant, Shana moved. From the time she showed herself till she attacked, it did not even take ten seconds!

She reached out, and the dozens of spaceships parked on the surface immediately turned into metal fragments. The spaceships violently exploded, and the fragments were transformed into a metal storm grinder. In a split second, the subordinates of Jayne and Gadeli were sliced into minced meat.

Gadeli was furious, and the battle suit on his body resonated like a giant wave. Nanoparticles gathered in his hands, turning into a giant firearm. The muzzle of the firearm fired toward Shana, and the cannon rays were extremely strong, incorporating all of his Mechanical Force.

Dong! Dong!

A sudden fierce battle unfolded!

Shana pointed, and an invisible magnetic field shield appeared around her. The defense of the shield was quite strong, and even after the flames from the explosion covered the body, they were all isolated outside of the magnetic field, leaving her unharmed. Then, Shana gripped with her hand.

Bang!

The huge firearm in Gadeli’s hands immediately disintegrated, turning back into nanoparticles like sand falling off from one’s hands.

Magnetic Field Control and Metal Manipulation‽ Han Xiao’s expression contorted. This uninvited guest had come here to deal with him and could completely restrain any Mechanics. It was unknown where she came from. As he thought, the only thing he could link it to was the hunting list.

It can’t be. How is there so much of a coincidence? Han Xiao was surprised. He secretly wondered how the enemy was able to discover his location.

Only he was involved in the operation this time, and those who could leak the report, other than the Purple Crystal Civilization, would only be his comrades, Jayne and Gadeli…

No, there was another possibility!

Han Xiao thought of the fleet that he had annihilated previously. Before they got destroyed, they had sent the intelligence out. Could it be that this mysterious hunter was associated with Klent?

Whoosh!

The huge metal fragments shot toward his head with a whistling sound, distracting him from his thoughts. It was not the time to consider such factors. Han Xiao wanted to use the Berserk Ape, but upon recalling the abilities of the enemy, he frowned and could only remove the thought of using his Mechanical suit. He relied on his own body to dodge the fragments, escaping far away.

The metal fragments slammed into the ground, creating a large pit and scattering stones everywhere.

Shana had faced everyone alone, but with just a few finger movements, she had already destroyed the army of Gadeli and flung him away hand. Seeing this, Jayne’s face lost all color. The battle capabilities of this uninvited guest had far outstripped her expectations!

Han Xiao had a headache. Facing such an opponent, the Mechanic profession was bound to have its arms tied behind its back. The many methods at his disposal would all be easily resolved by the other party, causing him to lose a lot of money.

This was by far the enemy that most countered his abilities!

Metal Manipulation is the kryptonite of the Mechanics. This woman probably also has a battle capability at Grade A+. If this carries on, the situation won’t be good…

The Tactical Support Style was known for its powerful firepower beyond the battlefield. Han Xiao had a liking for this kind of style. In the two years’ time, he had built enough Eye of Gods and kept them in the Blacklight Stealth at all times. It was a necessity for family travels, killing, and robberies.

The hot mushroom cloud was still continuously expanding, and a huge crater was created on the ground.

Han Xiao did not waste any time. With the mechanical suit’s thruster accelerating, he advanced into the explosion area, heading right toward the bottom of the crater.

The combat information notified him that Shana had kept fortifying her magnetic field shield and blocked a lot of the damage. With her equipment’s defense and her own resistance, this attack was not enough to heavily injure her. Furthermore, when the fifty Eye of Gods fired together, the attack was not concentrated enough, and a lot of its power was wasted.

The most important effect of this attack was to temporarily turn the situation around, putting a stop to the opponent’s control of the battle. Han Xiao was not planning to give Shana any time to take a break, so he quickly advanced. As he entered the area, he saw Shana and her shield crushed into the soil. A semi-sphere magnetic field shield was at the bottom of the crater, very conspicuous among the flames and dust.

Boom!

At this time, Shana hastily looked up. Her mask was already destroyed, showing her face with a twisted expression. Blood flowed down from her forehead; her face was completely filled with murderous intent. As if she had expected Han Xiao to approach at this time, she pressed her hands on the ground. Suddenly, a metal particle fountain shot out from below Han Xiao and grabbed onto him.

Grade A Supers all had rich combat experience. The instant Shana was attacked by Han Xiao, she had guessed what Han Xiao would do next. As she blocked the attack, she had also planted a trap and concentrated the metal particles under the ground around her. This was to capture Black Star, who was dodging her like a fly.

However, the next moment, Han Xiao suddenly disappeared.

Hu!

Suddenly, the sound of wind appeared less than one meter behind Shana. Her senses told her that there was now another person in her magnetic field shield.

Racial Talent-Advanced Void Travel!

How did he enter here through the magnetic field shield? Shana’s expression drastically changed. Before she could turn around, the back of her head was grabbed by a big hand covered in a bone-white mechanical suit. An irresistible force exploded from within and pressed her face down into the soil.

The next second, the gray light of Void Energy spilled out from within the Void Dragon mechanical suit and focused on Han Xiao’s arm.

Maximum output Void Jet Spray!

Boom!

Void Jet Spray could be used continuously without any cooldown; the price of that was the increasing energy cost. Han Xiao did not hold back at all and almost finished up all the energy of the Void Dragon mechanical suit.

During just the first spray, he had already activated the injection module inside the mechanical suit and injected a Genetic Medicine. In the last two years, he had captured countless galactic pirates. He had even changed the name of his private prison into “Galactic Pirates’ Warm Little House”. He had gathered a lot of Genetic Medicines that could cater to any situation. The temporary ability given by this medicine was that continuous attacks had a higher chance to cause the ‘stun’ effect.

The chain Void Jet Sprays triggered this effect easily, and Shana entered the ‘Stunned’ status. Her brain was a mess, and she could not fight back at all. All she could do was take in Han Xiao’s storm of attacks as her body trembled.

As the last spray ended, Shana was still in the ‘Stunned’ status and could not use her abilities. Without hesitation, Han Xiao immediately equipped Berserk Ape and entered the Berserk Overload Form!

With his arms high above his head, blinding lightning energy formed on his fists.

The next instant, his fists slammed down heavily!

Bang!

Lightning exploded like a spider web, and the bottom of the crater was once again filled with cracks!

Han Xiao used everything he had on this attack. Berserk Ape’s (Power Detonation), his own (Gene Liberation), and the occasional critical damage triggered due to Shana’s ‘Stunned’ status. The damage multiplier was greater than ten!

Ka!

Even with the deafening sound of impact, Han Xiao could clearly hear Shana’s bones breaking below him.

Han Xiao calmly grabbed onto Shana’s neck without mercy. He then took one step forward and turned rapidly, throwing Shana out like throwing a baseball. The moment Shana left his hand, a ring of impact waves appeared in the air.

Berserk Throw!

Hu!

Shana was sent flying out like a cannon, flying out of the mushroom cloud in an instant, and kept getting further away, almost disappearing from Han Xiao’s vision.

However, this combo had yet to end!

As Shana was about to recover from being stunned while flying, tens of light suddenly appeared in the sky again.

The second round of fire!

Boom!

The second mushroom cloud appeared.

The impact wave arrived as expected. The mechanical suit on Han Xiao’s legs shapeshifted and grabbed tightly on the ground, preventing him from being blown away.

Han Xiao waved his hand, and a huge square-shaped firearm appeared beside his feet. It was two meters tall and looked like a huge box. The top of the box had more than twenty openings. This was an explosives ejector. Han Xiao carried it on his shoulder with one hand and fired at the center area of the second mushroom cloud far away.

Bang bang bang!

Countless specially-made grenades arced through the air and landed on the target area, causing nonstop explosions.

All these grenades were Mini Nuclear Grenades and Space Bending Bombs, and the clip was quickly emptied.

Far away, Gadeli finally saved Jayne from the metal sphere.

The two of them looked at this and simultaneously gulped.

How brutal, this is a complete ravage…

With the clip emptied, this combo dealt tons of damage. However, there was still no notification showing that the target had been killed. This meant Shana was still alive. As an almost Grade A+ Super, her ability to resist damage was also very strong. Han Xiao equipped Void Dragon once again, using his energy to recover some of the mechanical suit’s energy.

Just as he was about to continue, Shana suddenly dashed out of the mushroom cloud from above, rapidly heading toward the sky. All the gigantic metal snakes followed behind and fused together, like a mountain rising from the ground.

She’s escaping? Wait, no! She wants to destroy my satellite railguns.

Han Xiao activated his thrusters and chased after Shana.

The two of them headed toward the outer space.

Damn it… Shana glanced at Han Xiao below her and clenched her teeth.

She had suffered the most during the time she was stunned, and after the combo attack, she was quite heavily injured. Her left arm was soft and dangling. Its bones had shattered into some abstract artwork. Her left leg was also twisted unnaturally. The left side of her body had been heavily damaged by Han Xiao. Even she did not know how many of her ribs were still connected. Her chest and her back were in extreme pain. She was in a terrible state.

It has been a very, very long time since she had been this badly injured. She was both shocked and furious. Shocked by Black Star’s suddenly explosive power and furious about how heavily injured she was.

If Eliot was here… Shana unavoidably thought of her Mage partner and regretted doing this alone. This time, she had been overconfident.

Although she was heavily injured, Shana had no intention of retreating. She planned to go to outer space and dismantle all of Black Star’s firepower support. This way, the fight would still be possible to win.

In Han Xiao’s vision, the planet surface rapidly shrank. The two of them rocketed into the sky. He controlled all the Eye of Gods and aimed at Shana, firing one after another, hoping to slow her down.

However, Shana was prepared. Her flight path had no pattern at all, and she never flew in a straight line. At the same time, she used the huge metal snakes as shields. The attacks from the railguns were either blocked or dodged by her.

It seems like I can’t stop her… Han Xiao calmly analyzed. Without hesitation, he activated the return program of all the satellite railguns. The Eye of Gods flew back to the warehouse in the Blacklight Stealth one after another. He planned to let Risda take the weapons and escape the battlefield once again. With the Blacklight Stealth’s mobility, there would be nothing Shana could do.

The two of them finally closed in on the edge of the atmosphere. Before them was pitch-black space. The Blacklight Stealth had already collected all the satellite railguns and was about to get away from this planet.

Shana clenched her teeth, barely raised her right arm, and was about to activate her Esper ability.

Han Xiao’s Advanced Void Travel was still in cooldown. He was just about to give Shana another Void Jet Spray when curved cannon light arrived from the surface and accurately landed on Shana. This time, she was not prepared at all. She was blown away and rolled in midair.

On the ground, Gadeli was operating an enormous Sniper Railgun with both of his hands. This shot had come from him. As a Cannon Master, he brought along firearms that could cater to various situations. This enormous firearm was used for extreme long-distance sniping.

Gadeli was a Grade A Cannon Master. Although he had been beaten up by Shana due to her Esper ability, he was not completely powerless. To snipe a target in outer space from the planet surface, even data such as the spinning speed of the planet had to be considered. However, with his level, this was just a regular thing to do. As long as the firearm had enough power, his sniping distance was extremely

long.

This shot prevented Shana from activating her ability. The Blacklight Stealth escaped Shana’s ability range within an instant.

Shana barely stabilized her body in midair and glared at Han Xiao. She realized that the situation had become very difficult.

In her current state, there was a very thin chance that she could defeat and capture the three Calamity Grades including Black Star. Shana started thinking about retreating.

Shana did not want to risk her life for something that clearly had a very small chance of success. There was no need for that. Even if she failed this time, she could bring an ally and come back again. This failure would at most alert the target.

However, in her eyes, even if Black Star was alert, it would be meaningless. She did not expose any information, so Black Star had no idea who was targeting him.

All she had to do was bring a strong enough ally next time. In a battle where one side was overwhelmingly stronger, regardless of whether Black Star was prepared or not, he would still end up being defeated.

Realizing this, Shana’s flames of fury dissipated, and she calmed down.

She did not want to stay there any longer. She raised her hand, and the gigantic metal snake pounced right onto Han Xiao. She then summoned her single person capacity spaceship and quickly entered the cockpit.

Han Xiao was held back by the gigantic metal snake and could not chase her, nor did he want to. The Void Dragon mechanical suit could not race with a spaceship, and Berserk Ape would be completely countered. It would indeed be very difficult for him to hold Shana back.

Most importantly, although Shana was a rare tough enemy, Han Xiao did not want to kill Shana straight away.

Shana’s spaceship quickly left. Before she entered hyperdrive, Han Xiao threw an Observer’s Mark on her.

Without Shana’s control, the gigantic metal snakes shattered into pieces in an instant and fell to the ground like rain.

Han Xiao hovered in midair, looking at the tracks left behind by Shana’s spaceship. He smirked.

Making me your prey won’t be this easy…

The mysterious organization that Shana belonged to had targeted him. Even if he killed Shana, there would still be strong enemies that came to chase after him. It would not solve the root of the problem.

Currently, Han Xiao knew nothing of this mysterious organization. What he needed urgently was information.

The Observer’s Mark was a perfect ability to steal intelligence. Letting Shana go was part of Han Xiao’s plan to catch the bigger fish.

Finding out what this mysterious organization was, their size, and the location of their base—that was the key mission. After all, Han Xiao did not want to keep his guard up every single day, worrying about being attacked at any time.

This mysterious organization was a ticking time bomb. In order to get rid of it, this was the most efficient method.

Although this would mean he would have to face Shana, who countered him, in the future, Han Xiao decided to shift the focus of the machines that he would be building from now on. He planned to start building a lot of non-metallic machines, as well as special machines that were focused on controlling magnetic fields. This would minimize Shana’s ability against him.

As long as a Mechanic was given enough time, they could counter anything.

Nonetheless, that woman was quite strong. Without these two helpers, I would’ve had a very tough fight.

Han Xiao took a deep breath. If it was a duel, with his blood mana cycle, the battle would have been a battle of stamina. There would be an extremely low chance that Shana would be able to defeat him. Nonetheless, he would have had a very difficult fight. Luckily, Jayne and Gadeli had helped him take on some of Shana’s power, so he had not been at a disadvantage the entire time.

After defeating Shana, a notification popped up showing that the first round of the hidden Grade A Chain Mission (Prey] was complete, giving Han Xiao more than 30 million Experience. Han Xiao did not instantly draw Shana’s ability-Feidin was not beside him, so he had no confidence.

I shall draw after returning to the base… Han Xiao shook his head.

He could not be together with the Goddess of Luck no matter how hard she tried, but Feidin could make the Goddess of Luck willingly spread her legs. The treatment was just so different-it made him despair.

Han Xiao lowered his head and took a look at the battlefield from high above. The ground was cracked up like a biscuit that had been stepped on. There were still two gigantic craters and a dust cloud that had not subsided.

Han Xiao then flew back to ground and took the Void Dragon suit off.

Jayne and Gadeli immediately came forward to welcome him. Both of them were covered completely in dust with Jayne being covered with injuries all over.

“Black Star, did you get rid of that woman?” Jayne asked anxiously.

“No, she managed to escape.” Han Xiao shook his head.

“You were her target. Do you know who that woman

is?”

“I am not sure. This is the first time she’s attacked

me.”

Han Xiao knew that she was called Shana, but there was no need to let both of them know.

Both of them were truly furious. They had met a calamity that did not have anything to do with them, and all of their subordinates and battleship fleet had been wiped out.

However, it was useless for them to blame Black Star. Black Star was equally clueless and never intended to set them up. Besides, Black Star’s strength and status were things that they would not be able to compare to, so the two of them could only treat it as their own bad luck.

While Gadeli and Jayne were feeling extremely sh*tty, they were also extremely shocked at Shana’s combat capability. Even three Calamity Grade Supers were not enough to keep her behind. If not for Black Star’s timely burst of strength, both of them probably would not have been able to defeat the

enemy.

After the three of them adjusted their conditions a bit, Dodder sent an emergency communication request and asked about the situation.

“How are all of you? What happened just now?”

“An unfamiliar A+ Esper suddenly attacked us. Her identity is unknown…”

Han Xiao briefly explained what had happened and also asked the Purple Crystal Civilization to help him investigate the matter.

“No problem. We will thoroughly investigate the other party’s identity. We will inform you of our investigation results.” Dodder agreed to the request solemnly. “We are still in the midst of preparations for the alliance of organizations. There should be news within the year, and we will gather everyone when the time comes. I hope that the three of you will make appropriate preparations.”

After a short conversation, Dodder ended the transmission.

Han Xiao put his communicator away and looked at the two others. “What do the both of you intend to do after this?”

Both of them let out a bitter laughter.

“We are truly too unlucky.” Gadeli sighed.

“Start my recruitment and purchase battleships again to make up for today’s loss,” Jayne replied helplessly.

Upon hearing that, an idea immediately sprung up in Han Xiao’s mind. These two individuals were powerful Grade A Supers. With their organizations being crippled, he might have a chance to recruit them.

“Actually, both of you can come to my Black Star Army. With your strength, there won’t be a problem with you being vice commanders. I sincerely invite both of you to join me.”

Han Xiao smiled and extended his invitation.

The both of them were taken aback. After pondering for a moment, they gave their response.

“Thank you for your invitation, but I do not have any intention of joining another organization,” Jayne said.

“I still prefer to build my own organization. I’m sorry.” Gadeli shook his head.

“No worries. My invitation will always be open to both of you. We can talk about this again in detail whenever both of you are interested.”

Han Xiao was not too disappointed by the result.

It was far more difficult to recruit a Calamity Grade Super than a Grade B Super. Every Grade A Super had the strength and right to dominate a region, and their ambition would usually be in line with their strength. Gadeli and Jayne wanted to build their own organizations and were not willing to submit to others.

After all, even a beyond Grade A powerhouse might get rejected when trying to recruit a Calamity Grade Super.

“Black Star, we would like to trouble you with something.” Jayne was slightly embarrassed, and his chest hair shook.

“Feel free to speak.” Han Xiao tried his best not to get distracted by Jayne’s chest hair.

“Er… our spaceships were destroyed, so…”

Han Xiao chuckled and slapped Jayne on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, we are comrades who fought alongside each other. Take my spaceship. I’ll take both of you to the nearest port.”

“Haha, we shall trouble you then.”

Upon seeing that Black Star was such an easy going guy, Jayne stroked his chest hair happily. He belonged to a race that judged beauty based on their chest hair. Soft and silky chest hair was the benchmark of a suave man.

Han Xiao immediately forced a smile and said, “Please put on some clothes first… don’t drop any hair on my spaceship.”

Shana’s spaceship was currently flying through the universe.

In the cockpit, Shana injected herself with some healing medicine and could barely walk properly. Only then did she send a transmission to her comrade.

Eliot appeared on the screen. He was Shana’s mage comrade, and both of them usually worked together.

The moment the transmission was connected, Eliot asked, “Shana, have you caught Black Star… Eh? Your complexion looks extremely terrible. Did something happen?”

“I failed.” Shana briefly described what had happened calmly.

“Hahaha. How miserable…”

Eliot did not display any anger but laughed out loud in schadenfreude instead.

Shana’s expression was ugly, and she hatefully said, “I will kill you one day.”

After laughing for a while, Eliot regained his cool and calmly said, “You acted rashly and failed your mission. You will cause us to face the risk of exposure. All of us will have to remain low profile for a period of time.”

Shana grunted and did not say anything. She did not attempt to find an excuse for her failure but did not feel guilty about it either. So what if she failed? It was not a big deal to her.

“Black Star’s strength has been underestimated,” Eliot said slowly. “While you did not reveal any information about us, he will now be wary, and it will be more difficult to capture him in the future. We should place him by the side temporarily and deal with the other targets.

“In any case, go back to headquarters and meet up with me there. We will discuss our plans back in the headquarters. Remember to shake off anyone following you, and do not reveal our location.”

“I don’t need you to remind me,” Shana replied coldly and hung up. She then activated the stealth function of her spaceship and traveled toward the headquarters.

However, she did not know that an eyeball was looking at her silently from the void.

After sending Gadeli and Jayne off, Han Xiao returned to the Garton Star System without stopping and stopped at the base on Planet Golden Gate.

The mercenaries in the surroundings saw the landing spaceship and recognized that this was Han Xiao’s personal spaceship. The Blacklight Stealth then flew straight into Han Xiao’s personal hangar, and he walked to the core region of the base through a priority tunnel. Without saying a word, he immediately went to find Feidin.

Feidin would usually be meditating on the rooftop on normal days. The moment Han Xiao came to the rooftop, he saw Feidin meditating cross legged with Psychic energy being emanated from his body.

Feidin’s eyes were shut at the moment as he sang melodiously. The path he took was identical to Chen Xing’s, and they used their Psychic energy through singing. The heavenly music was like elves within the winds to calm all fatigue and pain. Han Xiao also calmed down as he heard Feidin’s song.

Feidin’s song could cover the entire base and could give the players a temporary buff. This was the specialty of Planet Golden Gate, and Feidin was like the background music of the base.

Feidin had inherited all of Chen Xing’s knowledge and was an extremely talented individual himself. Thus, his strength improved at a rapid pace.

Two years ago, he could already suppress Chen Xing on his own but did not choose to leave. Instead, he chose to continue cultivating in the Black Star Army and occasionally follow the troops out on their missions.

Occasionally, he would travel alone to explore the galaxy but would always return to the Black Star Army to rest and reorganize. Han Xiao was extremely willing to be Feidin’s backer as long as he could touch Feidin.

Full marks for touching, zero marks for not touching

However, Feidin’s mission had not been completed yet. Ever since Feidin fulfilled his promise to hand over all of Chen Xing’s savings, his relationship with Chen Xing had entered a cold war period.

Han Xiao estimated that when two of them could open up their hearts to each other, a new world would be open to the both of them, and they would enter a phase of passionate love. That would also be the completion of his mission.

There was another person seated on the rooftop as well. Aroshia was seated by the side, enjoying Feidin’s singing. Two years ago, Han Xiao had shared the mission to find Aroshia’s memories with the players, and the effect over the two years was obvious. The mission progress had accumulated quickly and was about to be complete. Aroshia enjoyed listening to Feidin sing as it could allow her to recall more memories.

When she saw Han Xiao arriving, Aroshia transformed her arm into energy and wrapped it around Han Xiao’s waist like a belt as a greeting.

Noticing Han Xiao’s footsteps, Feidin stopped singing and turned around. With a smile, he said, “Black Star, are you looking for me for something?”

“Nothing much. You can continue singing. I am only here to find some luck.”

Han Xiao then walked forward and touched Feidin all over before turning around to take his leave.

Feidin touched his nose and laughed bitterly.

He had always felt that Black Star had somehow misunderstood him. Was his luck very good? Why did he not hear about it?

After Han Xiao touched Feidin to his heart’s content, he left the rooftop and opened the interface. Before his luck could dissipate, he hurriedly concluded the [Prey) mission to draw for Shana’s ability.

First round complete.

You have received: the opportunity to draw one of Shana’s abilities or talents.

Note: Shana is a unique Esper, and the abilities that you draw will be adjusted based on your class.

Randomizing… draw complete.

Please select one of the five rewards:

[Magnetic Field Vision) – talent: You will gain a keen insight into magnetic fields. +12% Machinery Affinity, +6% Mechanical Force bonus range

[Magnetic Vortex] – skill: Control skill. Release a burst of magnetic energy to create a magnetic field. Chance to inflict a target within the magnetic field with the (Chaos) status. Chance determined by Intelligence and external environment. Energy Usage: 160, Cooldown: 46s

[Electromagnetic Shooting Stars] – skill: Long ranged skill. Overlay multiple objects with electromagnetic force. Accumulate a large amount of kinetic energy before shooting the objects out and causing a damage between 210 – 742. Damage determined by the size of object and accumulated electromagnetic time. Energy Usage: 75, Cooldown: 12s.

(Strong Magnetic Field Shield] – skill: Defensive skill. A magnetic shield will be formed within a 3m vicinity of the user. Shield durability is unlimited, and maintaining the shield will exhaust energy. If the damage taken by the shield within a second exceeds the critical point, the magnetic shield will be shattered. Cooldown 2.5s. The critical point is determined by the amount of energy exhausted per second with the maximum damage being 22,000. Every time the shield takes damage, additional energy will be exhausted.

(Super Electromagnetic Sense] – talent: Your ‘magnetic’ attribute will be enhanced. The bonus received from every energy level will change.

This was the result after the skills had been modified, and Han Xiao was not too surprised. All of Shana’s skills were rooted in her Esper ability, and it was impossible for him to gain the other party’s Esper ability. The abilities to strengthen the control of metal in a magnetic field would be useless to him.

Thankfully, control of metal within a magnetic field was extremely compatible with the Mechanic class. After a series of adjustments, most of the skills were useful to Mechanics as well.

There was not a single skill that stood out from the rest, but the skills were not too terrible either. Han Xiao felt that he had drawn the average skills this time.

If I didn’t touch Feidin, I am afraid that I would have drawn some sh*tty skills. It seems like Feidin’s luck cancelled out my bad luck.

Chapter 637 In the Chaotic Crimson Tide, Storms Are Forming (1)

Han Xiao was not interested in the first choice, [Magnetic Field Vision), at all. He now had almost a thousand percent Machinery Affinity; this bonus would not make a difference.

Among the three abilities, (Strong Magnetic Field Shield] was undoubtedly the strongest. If a player obtained this, it could almost be a god-tier ability. Its only flaw was that its energy cost was very high. Nonetheless, to Han Xiao, he could totally afford its cost.

Sadly, he really did not want another tanky ability. [Strong Magnetic Field Shield] clashed with his mana health cycle. Only the damage taken by his body would be absorbed and turned into energy. If it hit a shield, it would not activate.

Although this ability was quite good, he was not really in need of it.

The names of the other two abilities were kind of lame, but their effects were quite good. They could be used as a means of attack when he was not using machines. However, it was too rare for him to not use any machines, so he would not use these skills as much.

The last talent (Super Electromagnetic Sense) had a very simple introduction. Han Xiao had seen similar talents before in his previous life; they enhanced the basic attributes of one’s energy, causing the bonus given by energy to increase tremendously. This kind of talent was rather rare. Not just the Mechanic class, the other four classes had talents that enhanced their energy as well. Shana’s Esper attribute just so happened to be suitable for the Mechanic class.

The magnetic attribute was related to the Mechanical Force. If he chose this one, the increase in his Machinery Affinity would be many times greater than the first talent on the list. Furthermore, when he acquired a new level of energy bonuses in the future, this talent would still be effective. It was the same as increasing his potential.

This was a high-level Mechanic talent that was rather difficult to obtain. It had growth potential.

Tsk, I can only choose one…

Han Xiao scratched his hair. Other than the first option, he wanted all four.

After pondering for some time, he decided that long term potential was more important and made his choice.

You have received (Super Electromagnetic Sense)!

Your Magnetic Energy has been enhanced!

Your energy bonuses have changed!

When Han Xiao opened his attributes and looked at it, he smiled.

His Machinery Affinity was largely increased in every energy level. His Energy Level was currently [Lv11), which originally gave him 142% Machinery Affinity. With this talent, it became 262%

A 120% increase in Machinery Affinity!

Almost double!

Nice, that makes it worthwhile.

Han Xiao was quite satisfied. This 120% bonus affinity made his Machinery Affinity go beyond 1,000%. Furthermore, this talent had more long-term benefits and would become stronger as his level increased.

Although it could not be compared with Reynold’s almost cheat code level (Perfect Mechanical Sense), it was still quite good. Including his (Elementary Grade Mechanical Sense), he finally had two Mechanic class talents.

Now, this is more Mechanic like.

Han Xiao chuckled.

Nonetheless, the other three abilities were good. He was quite upset that he could not choose all of them. This is just the first round. Shana is still alive. If every round’s reward includes drawing her ability…

Han Xiao’s eyes sparkled, and he could not help but fantasize. He wanted to meet Shana a few more times.

Shana was an ability treasure trove!

He looked at the second-round mission of (Prey), but it had yet to update.

The second round would probably only start when the enemy attacked again.

The enemies are hiding, and I’m in the open. Luckily, I planted a ward on her, or I really wouldn’t be able to guard against their sudden attack. Just like the mission name, they’re hunters waiting for opportunities to strike, and I’m the prey they have targeted. If I’m attacked during an important part of another mission, I will incur a huge loss. These hunters really are a bunch of sh*t stirrers.

Han Xiao was glad.

On the way back, Han Xiao had peeked at Shana and Eliot’s conversation through the Observer’s Mark, discovering that that woman was heading toward the headquarters.

If he could confirm the location of this mysterious organization, he might be able to drag Ames along and advance to the high ground.

One slam from Floating Dragon Island, and not just the enemy Nexus, the enemy fountain might not even exist…

Patience was the basic of peeking; there was no use in hurrying. The Observer’s Mark would only gain useful information as time went on.

Han Xiao went to the training room and tested his new talent for a while, then gave a lesson to Sylvia and Reynold, followed by letting Sylvia report the matters of the army. After he was done with those things, he shut himself in the machinery modification room and went into solitude.

Shana’s attack had put him under some pressure. If all her friends had about Grade A+ strength, they would be strong opponents that he had never faced before. Han Xiao planned to build a batch of non-metallic machines and magnetic field reversal devices to nullify Shana’s Esper ability.

With plenty of Experience in his bag, Han Xiao was not worried about spending. He gambled a lot of blueprints and found quite a lot of useful ones.

Including the blueprints, he already had more than a thousand abilities. The effect of [Research Theory] now gave him more than three hundred bonus Intelligence.

Building non-metallic machines was one part of becoming stronger; Han Xiao also felt it was time to increase his level.

He was now level 170 and stuck at the Class Advancement mission of [Galaxy Mechanic). If he completed the Class Advancement, his strength would be largely increased once again. He would also obtain the crucial Mechanic abilities of the next stage.

The Class Advancement requirement was very direct – learn one Cutting-Edge Knowledge.

However, it was not easy for Han Xiao.

In his previous life when the players were at this level, it was already the later versions. After playing for so long and experiencing so many main storylines, the players had built up relationships with several factions by that time, so they could exchange Cutting-Edge Knowledge directly.

However, Han Xiao was too ahead of the schedule. Limited by the version, he did not have the chance to farm the relationship with any Star Cluster Civilizations. Hence, this Class Advancement requirement that was quite easy in his previous life suddenly became an obstacle.

It was not difficult to do, but it took a lot of time and effort.

Han Xiao had used up the random rewards that he had stocked up. Being unlucky as always, he did not get any Mission Completion Cards.

Mission Completion Cards were actually really cheap and not rare at all. Most of the things he got in these random rewards had a higher value than Mission Completion Cards, such as the rare Esper Ability Potential Enhancing Fluid that he had shockingly obtained twice. Including one from long ago, he now had three of them.

He kept feeling that trying to obtain Mission Completion Cards after touching Feidin was having the opposite effect.

Cutting-Edge Knowledges were a must learn, so Han Xiao did not want to gamble on Mission Completion Cards. What he hoped now was that the Purple Crystal Civilization could quickly form its Section Zero. During the (Crimson Tide), faction missions were in the least shortage.

At the outer space track outside the Purple Crystal Civilization’s Mother Planet, a garrison satellite code-named ‘Curved Blade’ was circling the mother planet. This was a newly built space station, an office for a new department. This department’s members were all elites selected from the various departments within the Secret Service.

At this time, inside the Curved Blade garrison satellite station, a row of Foreign Affairs Captains were sitting in the office of the highest commander, staring at the top commander of this department, Ralph.

Ralph flipped through the report of these people and listened as the captains explained the situation.

“The candidate list for the partner organizations has been sorted. There’s a total of 173 new organizations selected, all of which we have contacted and are willing to work with us. Please take a look.”

“It’s too few,” Ralph said coldly. In front of his subordinates, he was very strict.

“From an entire Star Cluster’s perspective, it is indeed not many. However, the 173 candidate organizations are the result of our careful selection. They all have Calamity Grades in their organization, a compulsory requirement. They are spread across the various Star Systems in Colton, and all are renowned among the locals.”

“Such as?”

“Severide’s Arc Light Organization, Skywalker’s Hero Group, Rain’s New Phylen Rebels… These are the largest and strongest organizations among the candidates.”

“It’s still not enough. The strength of these unofficial military organizations is far from the forces gathered by Klent.” Ralph shook his head in dissatisfaction. “The development of private organizations in Colton is too chaotic. Klent has the Bloodshed Land. Just that alone is enough to stop all of our partnered organizations. Klent has been helping its ally, the Bloodshed Land, expand over the years, fusing about half of the private organizations in their territory. Klent wants to build an alliance organization using the Bloodshed Land as its core. In the face of such an enormous organization, these partner organizations we’ve found will have no chance of resisting. If they want to start a secret war, we will have absolutely no chance of winning.”

“Indeed. The enemy has the Bloodshed Land. If we don’t use our official army, no one can stop the Tyrant. However, Beyond Grade As won’t act easily. We also have Beyond Grade A too; the Dragon Emperor is here.”

“However, Dragon Emperor Ames remains neutral. She isn’t our ally.” Ralph frowned.

“The Black Star Army is on the list of partner organizations. Although he cannot be compared with these three strongest candidates I just mentioned, their strength can be ranked in the second tier within the list. Their background is the military force of Floating Dragon. Maybe we can use the Dragon Emperor’s power through him.”

“I know Black Star; he’s a very smart guy. Don’t try to use him to get close to Ames. Plus, Ames might not be as strong as Heber.” Ralph shook his head.

After a pause, he continued to warn his subordinates. “Klent is still holding back currently, but they will become more and more rampant. The secret war will happen sooner or later. The people above have made the call; we cannot be forced by the enemy to use our official army, or an all-out war might really break out. Klent wants to snatch parts of Colton’s territory. Even if the three Universal Civilizations come to stop the war, the Crimson Dynasty is behind Klent. We are at a disadvantage politically, so we might be forced to sign an unfair treaty. I’m not satisfied with the current list. The reason that this department was created is to deal with Klent’s ambitious expansions. You must get more military forces.”

“Understood!”

“Also, the people above have given this department an official code name. When the time comes, you will notify the candidates of the name of this organization formed by all the partnered forces.”

“What’s the code name?”

Ralph knocked on the table and solemnly said, “Secret Service, Section Zero!”

In the Seoul Star Cluster, Klent Kingdom territory, Bloodshed Land headquarters, Planet Heber…

Inside Heber’s palace, the emissary from Klent met with Tyrant to deliver the message from his superiors.

“The Purple Crystal Civilization eliminated the scouting team that we sent to Colton. This is their warning. According to the information transmitted back, the people that attacked the scouting team were all private forces in the Colton Star Cluster. This means that Purple Crystal is creating an alliance. We need to make the corresponding reaction.”

“You guys need my help.”

“Yes. In these two years, Klent has been helping you assemble many private military forces in the Seoul Star Cluster. The size of the Bloodshed Land is many times bigger than two years ago. We plan to form an alliance force with you as its core and secretly invade the Colton Star Cluster, starting a secret war with the Purple Crystal Civilization.”

“Okay.” Heber gave a short and simple reply.

“Although the Dragon Emperor Ames is in Colton, she is basically neutral. However, the Black Star Army under her seems to be on Purple Crystal’s side. If Ames interferes, we hope you can deal with her.”

“When it’s necessary, I will.” Heber shook his head.

Back at the party, Dragon Emperor and Black Star did not directly reject the Crimson Dynasty’s invitation. After that, they did not make any decision. However, even if the Floating Dragon decided to choose the Crimson Dynasty’s side, they were still not his ally. The two of them had different goals and were in two opposing Star Cluster Civilizations. The Crimson Dynasty did not mind their chess pieces fighting each other. The more chaotic the situation, the better.

Klent was willing to step forward and execute the Crimson Dynasty’s belief of being as high profile as possible. With such a strong backer, Klent had been more and more daring over the prior two years, especially toward neutral civilizations not under any of the three Universal Civilizations such as Purple Crystal.

The Seoul Star Cluster under Klent’s rule was the second smallest Star Cluster in all of the Shattered Star Ring, as well as Colton’s neighbor. Klent was very ambitious; their goal was not only just taking a bite on the profits of the Flickering World but also to get their hands on the Colton Star Cluster. Although they maintained a good relationship with Purple Crystal on the surface, they secretly wanted to snatch a few Star Systems from Purple Crystal.

Of course, this would not have worked out in the past. However, now that the Crimson Dynasty wanted to stir things up, the restriction of the peace treaty suddenly became much weaker. The strong had the right to make rules. The laws and balance in the galaxy seemed unbreakable in the eyes of normal people, but to the three Universal Civilizations, they were very fragile. The other civilizations were just players that had to obey the game rules they had set.

Even Heber felt that the Klents were very greedy.

However, this suited what he wanted. He needed an ambitious ally, not an ally content with what they had. The greedier they were, the more they would rely on him.

Heber stood up. His gigantic body cast a shadow over the Klent emissary.

“I understand what Klent wants. Go back and tell your boss that I will be in charge of this war. They don’t have to worry about anything.”

The Klent emissary nodded and smiled with the confidence of a certain victory.

The difference between the Bloodshed Land and the alliance force built by Purple Crystal was like an iron fist and a plate of sand. For this secret war, Klent had been preparing for two years. Purple Crystal’s reaction only came much later. This meant that they were at a disadvantage before the war even started.

With the Tyrant, Heber, taking care of the situation, demolishing Purple Crystal’s alliance force was just a matter of time.

Through continuous victories, the Bloodshed Land had never disappointed Klent before.

Shana returned to the headquarters that were shockingly in an area so remote it was the desolate area at the edge of the Shattered Star Ring. There was absolutely nobody around; it was a truly unpopulated area.

All the Star Fields had desolate areas that very few stepped into. Their characteristics as a whole were that there were very few planets, hardly any resources, and no signs of life. Some wanted or mysterious organizations would occasionally choose these desolate areas as the location for their headquarters.

When Shana entered the headquarters, all of her colleagues were waiting. Other than Eliot, there were four others. They all wore different masks and gave off a vibe of unfathomable strength. They were all looking at Shana.

With a husky voice like an old man at the end of his days, a short man among them slowly said, “You failed and exposed your face. For the next few years, you will replace Adrian to guard the headquarters. He will go out to carry out missions with Eliot.

“Humph.” Shana was not happy about it but did not object. This was their internal rule. In order for them not to be targeted by anyone, once someone failed, the person working in the field had to be swapped.

This secret organization had very few members, but they were all elites.

Adrian was a muscular and tall male being with the characteristics of a Beastman. He took out a palm-sized metal disk and threw to Shana. “It’s your turn to guard the headquarters. Enjoy the boring times.”

This metal disk was one of the specially made keys of the jail inside the headquarters. There were four of those keys.

All the captured targets on the list would be locked up in the prison. Usually, four of them would be guarding the headquarters, and two of them would go out to capture the targets on the list. This was their usual way of doing things.

Eliot shrugged and said, “Looks like we can’t be partners. Shame, I always thought we worked very well together.”

Adrian pointed at himself and said, “I’m your old partner, too.”

Eliot shrugged and replied, “Other than Mister Albert, all of you have been my partner before.”

Albert was the short, old man, the leader of this team, and had always been guarding the headquarters.

Adrian had never failed, so he was the only one that had never been swapped out. All the other four had been his partner before.

“Now, let’s talk about the problem regarding Black Star.” Albert stared at Shana. “Due to your failure, we now have the risk of being exposed. Black Star is now alert and will actively look for our whereabouts. We have two choices; one is to ignore Black Star and wait for the dust to settle before we move again. The other is to capture him as soon as possible and eliminate the risk of being exposed. Then, we keep a low profile afterward…”

“I’ve done some research on him,” Shana suddenly said. “Previously, the Garton Star System’s DarkStar organization did not take him seriously at the start and was destroyed by him. This man is very dangerous. We can’t leave him be.”

Albert nodded and said, “Makes sense. He’s dangerous. Eliot, Adrian, the only target of your next mission is Black Star. You must capture him. If you can’t capture him alive no matter what, I allow you to eliminate him.”

“Alright.” Eliot nodded.

“Mister Albert, I have fought with Black Star before and could not make him show his ‘Indestructible Body’. He must have hidden more strong abilities. Two people won’t be enough. My ability counters his, so please let me join the mission,” Shana said with a deep voice.

Albert contemplated and felt that it was reasonable. He told Shana to give him the key and said, “Okay, I’ll make an exception this time. The three of you will work together. Don’t be reckless. Only act after you’re absolutely certain you’ll succeed.”

Shana nodded. Revenge was just part of the reason she insisted on joining the mission; more of it was just as she had said. Although she had lost, she remembered the fight, and her ability was indeed very suitable for dealing with Black Star.

“Klent seems to be starting to move. Apparently, they’re going to start a fight with the Purple Crystal Civilization. Black Star should be involved in it, so we’ll have plenty of chances.”

Eliot smiled. He was a Grade A+ Super, and the other two were close to Grade A+, but the opponent was just Black Star alone.

He felt that success was certain.

At the same time, inside Base No.1 of the Black Star Army…

“Tsk tsk, three people just to deal with me, how scary.”

Through the Observer’s Mark, Han Xiao watched the conversation between Shana and the others like watching a movie.

After waiting for many days, Han Xiao had finally obtained valuable information from the Observer’s Mark. He was quite shocked.

He suspected Shana to be Grade A+, so the other two would not be weaker than her. Sending all three of them to capture him… Did I dig up your ancestor’s grave? Do you people really have to send such an elite team after me?

Nonetheless, Han Xiao did not panic. After all, the problem was massive, so there was no use in panicking.

With my strength, the chance of winning against these three is negligible. Even if I’m very tanky and might not be killed, I will most likely be captured. If these six people have about the same strength, they could capture just about anyone under Beyond Grade

A.

Being targeted by these people. Han Xiao felt heavy pressure.

These people seemed to be obeying orders to capture people. Han Xiao had a feeling that the six people whom he had just seen were merely the tip of the iceberg of this mysterious organization.

However, not only was Han Xiao not panicking, he almost wanted to laugh.

Originally, the situation was that the enemies were hidden, and he was in the open. If Shana did not join the mission, he would not have been able to guard against the sudden attack of the enemies.

However, Shana insisted on joining the mission and became a moving ward that allowed Han Xiao to monitor their movements at all times.

Such a great teammate!

This ward was more than worth it.

Han Xiao could not help but feel glad about how careful these people were. If they headed there right away, he would indeed be in quite a tough situation.

Hmm, let me think, how I should welcome them…

Han Xiao rubbed his chin and pondered.

The situation was extremely clear. Three of them were coming after him, and three others were staying behind in the base to guard their camp.

However, he could only spy on a single party. The problem was how Han Xiao should maximize his benefits.

He was considering how he could nab all the enemies in one fell swoop and also complete a few more phases of the (Prey] mission. Such a mission that could give him the opportunity to draw the abilities of a Grade A Super was extremely rare. If he was lucky, his strength could undergo a massive increase.

There seems to be only six enemies. I needed to think of a way to get rid of them all without alerting them, Han Xiao pondered to himself. The situation is now reversed. The enemy is out in the open while I am in the dark. This is my biggest advantage, and I need to make use of it well.

Should I deal with Shana and her group or attack the main camp of the enemy first?

All the trump cards that I can mobilize include the Black Star Army, my connections in the mercenary world, Ames’ support, and the organizations behind those on that hit list. If the powerhouses captured by the enemy are all in the main camp, I’ll be able to easily convince the organizations behind them to work together and fight the enemy. Every single enemy is extremely powerful alone, and their advantage is their high mobility. It would be extremely troublesome if even a single person escapes.

Han Xiao shook his head and felt that he could not attack their main camp under such circumstances. No matter what, the three who were keeping guard seemed to have the strength of Grade A+ as well. Even if he invited the Dragon Emperor to take action, the enemy would still have time to contact their comrades. The moment he alerted the enemy, it was extremely likely for the three on the outside to split up and escape. At that time, he would only be able to capture Shana, not the other two.

After considering for a while, Han Xiao also eliminated the plan of splitting up his forces. It would be a far more complex operation with too many factors that could go wrong. If he chose to split his forces, choosing how to allocate his forces would be a huge problem. After all, the enemy were not weaklings, and they might have some strange escaping abilities.

I shall do it this way…

Han Xiao’s eyes sparkled.

If he wanted to attack the enemy’s main camp, he would want all the enemies to gather together first to capture them all in one fell swoop.

If he captured Shana’s group of three, he would not be able to spy on the rest. If he only captured one of the three, the enemy might shift their main camp due to fear of being exposed. The moment they entered the depths of the unexplored region of the universe, it would be extremely difficult to give chase.

Han Xiao pondered for a moment and decided on a plan. He would only fight off Shana’s group of three and cause them to fail again. The other party would then return to their base for sure, and the six of them would be gathered together. He would just have to gather his troops and gain the high ground. He would not allow a single enemy to escape and could even save all the captured Grade A Supers.

For the sake of secrecy, Han Xiao decided to wait for Shana’s group of three to find him. Taking the initiative to attack them would only reveal the fact that he had locked onto their position.

He felt that the role of hunter and prey had been swapped. He was like a hunter patiently waiting for the prey to step into his trap.

However, I have to find some helpers first.

Han Xiao opened up his communicator, and an endless list of leaders from the various organizations appeared.

In the office of Section Zero, Ralph was staring at his communicator with his brows locked as though he was troubled over a huge problem. His secretary did not dare disturb him.

In truth, the communicator was currently showing a galactic entertainment program, and he was avoiding work.

It could not be helped. The mission of scouting for private organizations fell on the shoulder of the envoys. Even if the mission to organize an alliance was extremely urgent, he could only wait for the envoys to complete their mission first. The war had not begun yet, and there was no point in him being anxious.

Right at this moment, an incoming call sprung up from his communicator and disrupted his show.

Ralph picked up the incoming call without a change in expression. It was Han Xiao.

“Black Star, it is rare for you to take the initiative to contact me.”

“I have already received your notice. How many people are there in Section Zero right now?”

Not too long ago, Purple Crystal had sent out the name of the alliance to all those involved in the alliance. Han Xiao had also received news of it.

This organization was only in its infancy, so the structure of the organization had not been formed. They did not know the names of the other participants of the organization, and no notification of a new faction popped up on Han Xiao’s interface.

“The members of Section Zero are temporarily a secret. We will gather all the members when it is formed officially. You will know who the members are then.”

In his past life, the players only saw the organization in Version 3.0, which was perfected during the time of the update. This time, Han Xiao was personally joining the organization from the very start.

Han Xiao chuckled and could briefly remember which organizations joined Section Zero in the end. However, he felt that he had an opportunity to change the storyline this time.

“I have an idea to allow Section Zero to recruit more experts.”

Ralph’s eyes lit up. “Let’s hear your plan…”

The Light Rune Civilization was the ruler of the Thousand Lights Star System. Of the many Star System level civilizations of the Colton Star Cluster, the Light Rune Civilization had always been an open supporter of Purple Crystal. The level of the Light Rune Civilization exceeded an ordinary Star System level civilization, and they had a close relationship with Purple Crystal.

Recently, the person in charge of Light Rune Civilization’s national defense, Kemas, had been extremely frustrated.

It was because the most powerful expert of the Light Rune Civilization, Kernid, had disappeared on his holiday. The higher ups were enraged and ordered him to locate Kernid.

Kemas was heavily pressured by his higher ups to find Kernid. However, the pressure from his higher ups was not the only reason. Kernid was his biological brother, and it would be impossible for him to keep his current position without Kernid. As such, Kemas was more anxious to find his brother than anyone else.

However, he did not have a single clue. Kemas had already applied for aid from the Purple Crystal Civilization but to no avail. He was truly frustrated to the point his body hair was about to drop.

Ring ring!

Right at this moment, his communicator rang-his secretary was calling.

“Your Excellency Kemas, someone is requesting to speak to you.”

“Who is it?” Kemas suppressed the frustration in his heart. His secretary was the one in charge of managing his incoming calls, and for his secretary to personally contact him, it meant that the caller definitely had a significant status.

“He is the leader of the Black Star Army, Black Star of the Garton Star System.”

“Oh, so it’s him.” Kemas had heard of such an individual before, and it seemed like he was creating a storm in Godora. Despite being doubtful of why Black Star was looking for him, it would not be good for him to treat the other party rudely. Thus, he got his secretary to divert the call over.

The holographic screen lit up, and Han Xiao’s face appeared.

“Kemas? I haven’t got the wrong person, right?”

“It’s me, Black Star. Why have you called for me?”

Han Xiao stroked his chin and said, “I heard from Purple Crystal that you guys are looking for someone called Kernid.”

“Yes.” Kemas was not aware of what Han Xiao’s intentions were and thus gave a short reply.

“What if I say that I may know his whereabouts? Will you guys be willing to work with me?”

The moment Han Xiao said those words, Kemas! expression changed, and his breathing became heavy as though he was stimulated.

The Star Beast Organization was a special armed organization that was located in another Star Cluster. It was in an alliance with the Star Cluster level civilization that ruled the Star Cluster.

This organization was extremely famous in the Shattered Star Ring and their specialty was the ability to control various dangerous galactic beasts. They did not like to expand and chose to maintain neutrality most of the time. They would never sell or rent their beasts but only provide them to the Star Cluster Civilization that they were in an alliance with.

Their specialty came from the Esper ability of their leader, Gobili. He had a monstrous level of affinity with beasts and was able to control various different types of beasts over long periods of time. If these beasts remained under the influence of his ability for long periods of time, they even had a chance of evolving and mutating.

However, the Star Beast Organization was in a complete mess at this moment because their leader had disappeared.

The vice commander had sent out numerous search parties, but he could not find a single clue.

If their leader was gone, their organization was finished.

Everyone in the Star Beast Organization was filled with grievances. Don’t we only like to rear pets? We only rear pets in our homes and do not provoke anyone. Why do others still have to come and provoke us!

Just when they were on the brink of collapse, the vice commander received a call from Han Xiao.

“I am Black Star from the Colton Star Cluster. You may or may not have heard of my name before. However, that isn’t important. The important thing is that I may know the location of your leader. Are you interested in working with me?”

The same scene happened in various locations throughout the Shattered Star Ring. Han Xiao called all the organizations of the names listed on the hit

list.

With his huge network, finding these numbers was a piece of cake. His chain of calls immediately mobilized a large number of organizations.

As for the ones who were on the list but had not been caught, he could only say wrong number.

Just as he was gathering aid in secret, Shana’s group of three was also approaching the Garton Star System.

On the spaceship, the three of them were discussing their strategy.

“Black Star may be on high alert this time. I feel that we shouldn’t take care of him immediately.” Eliot shook his head. He had always been a calm individual. However, since Albert had given his orders, he could only follow the orders.

“Not necessarily. I did not reveal much information, and Black Star may think that I am only seeking revenge. This is a very common thing for a leader of his status.”

Shana shook her head and felt that her loss was not that big a deal. The way she saw it, Black Star was definitely puzzled about her origin.

“We should still be careful no matter what.” Eliot paused to think for a moment before continuing. “It is said that Black Star has an undying body with his subordinates being immortals. A long, drawn-out battle will be to his advantage, so we must come up with a plan to take him down quickly.”

“Should we wait for him to be alone before attacking?”

“Not necessarily. After facing an ambush recently, Black Star will definitely be more careful when he is alone. We should strike him at the most unexpected moment.”

“What should we do?”

“Hmm… I know. He doesn’t recognize me and Adrian. I can use a spell to conceal our aura and appearance to mix with the mercenaries and attack him from up close. The two of us shall control him, and you will take action to capture him. The three of us will then retreat immediately. With the three of us working together, we should be able to take care of him very quickly.”

“If that’s the case, we can take action in his base.”

“Yes, this way, he will be caught off guard. The other mercenaries in the base won’t be able to stop us, and he won’t have other Calamity Grade helpers this time.”

Adrian then spoke in a muffled voice. “I understand. We want to deal a lightning fast strike and not give him the chance to react.”

Eliot nodded.

Shana pondered for a moment and also felt that it was a good plan. She could not think of how Black Star would be able to escape from their grasp this time.

Meanwhile, Black Star was on his way to Floating Dragon Island.

“Oh, I see.” Han Xiao now understood their plan.

The battle erupted in an instant. The impact caused by seven Calamity Grades was tremendous!

The shockwave destroyed about half of the entire base, and the streets nearby became a wreck. Many players were blown away. Their level limit was currently 90, so just the shockwave alone had already taken away a bar of their health. There was nothing they could do.

Boom!

It was a battle between seven Calamity Grade Supers. Even with Han Xiao, Nagakin, and the other two trying to control the damage, it still caused quite a lot of destruction. However, Han Xiao did not mind how badly the base was damaged. Only the surface buildings were damaged, and it was cheap to rebuild them. Furthermore, he was already at the level of “I’m not interested in money”, so he did not mind paying such a small price to lure these three people.

This was the second time that he had fought Shana. Han Xiao had built a team of non-metallic mechanical soldiers, mainly elites. They were strong and powerful under his Mechanical Force bonuses. It was difficult for Shana to counter him, so she could only fight him directly.

Eliot was a very strong Mage; he used all sorts of high-level spells like it was nothing and clearly was not even using his full strength. Adrian was a typical muscular man, taking on the job of a meat shield, holding back three Pugilists including Nagakin alone.

The three of them cooperated with each other very well. Nagakin and the others were no match. Han Xiao was ‘doing his best’ controlling the mechanical soldiers to attack. It seemed like he was having an intense fight with Shana.

Nagakin and his two colleagues were all Pugilists. Their raw strength was grossly inferior to the three opponents. Just Adrian alone could stall the three of them. They were instantly at a disadvantage. However, Eliot and the other two had no intention of continuing fighting. They kept retreating, and the battlefield kept moving.

Black Star had set up an ambush, so the fight would not end quickly. This was a Godoran planet, so there were fleets stationed nearby. Eliot and the rest did not want to be surrounded by the garrison. They planned to retreat as soon as possible, and they were very confident in doing so.

This was because Eliot knew how to use the teleportation spell, which was outstanding for escaping. Black Star would be dreaming if he thought that he could capture them. Therefore, Eliot thought that it was really funny. He did not know where Black Star got his confidence.

Whoosh!

This time, the sound of spaceships came from the edge of the sky. A fleet stationed there quickly reacted, and about a hundred battleships were approaching as backup.

“There’s no need to fight the Godoran fleet. Let’s

go.”

Eliot told Adrian to hold back Nagakin and his colleagues, then cast a spell. He then performed a stroke in the air with his finger, and an energy vortex suddenly appeared behind him, which then expanded into a teleportation gate.

“Sh*t, he can teleport!” Nagakin gave an exaggerated shocked expression. Han Xiao glanced at him and could not help but gave a like to his acting skills. His expression was lively, and his eyes had very intense emotions in them. This acting skill of his was definitely Grade A.

Eliot then cast another spell. A huge magic barrier separated all the enemies from him and his two comrades.

The magic shield blocked all the attacks and kept vibrating. Adrian and Shana entered the teleportation gate and disappeared.

With his two colleagues retreating successfully, Eliot looked at Han Xiao and mocked, “Hehe, as I said, you’re overconfident. This level of ambush is far from being enough to capture us. We want to leave now—are you able to stop us?”

Han Xiao heard that and made his expression gloomy. He then deliberately said nothing and continued to attack with greater force, pounding loudly on the magic barrier.

In Eliot’s eyes, Black Star was turning his embarrassment into fury. He immediately felt better; even the unhappiness from the mission failing diminished quite a bit.

Eliot squinted and suddenly said, “Wait for it. We will come to find you again. There won’t always be someone helping you.”

Then, Eliot turned and walked into the teleportation gate. The gate disappeared, and the three of them retreated successfully like they could just come and go as they wished.

They’re finally gone… Han Xiao finally relaxed his tight facial muscles and uninstalled the ‘Angry.jpg’ expression bundle.

Although the battle was short, the streets nearby were badly destroyed. The level of strength that the enemies had shown made Nagakin feel a lot of pressure.

“Black Star, who are these people? They’re way too strong. They have targeted you, so you’ve got to be careful,” Nagakin said seriously.

“Don’t worry, they can’t escape.”

Now we will just have to wait till they get home… Han Xiao smiled but said no more.

Eliot exposed his teleportation spell, which was bonus information that Han Xiao did not expect to obtain. This was a god-tier escaping ability. Had they not made any preparations for it, the enemies might have escaped when they attacked their base. Now that he knew about this, he could think of ways to deal with it.

Thinking that Eliot and the rest thought that they had successfully escaped, Han Xiao almost burst into laughter.

Things were going even better than he had expected!

After contacting the construction team to repair the base and getting rid of a huge number of players trying to trigger missions, Han Xiao used the Observer’s Mark and peeked at those three’s whereabouts.

The range of the teleportation gate that Eliot had hurriedly created on the spot would not be too far. The teleportation gate was connected to their spaceship, which orbiting the colonial planet.

As soon as they returned to the ship, they activated its stealth mode and went far away from the planet, preventing the garrison from chasing after them.

The escape was successful. The three of them did not even suspect that Han Xiao had purposely let them go. They retreated with Eliot’s ability. There was nothing suspicious about it. They just thought that Black Star had misjudged their strength and did not set up a strong enough ambush.

Making Black Star’s ambush a failure was nothing to the three of them. They felt that it was normal.

“This mission has failed. Should we continue looking for opportunities?” Shana asked.

Eliot shook his head. “Black Star is very cautious. After just one attack, he made a trap purely out of suspicion. Now that he has been attacked a second time, he will be certain that we’re his enemies. He will only be more alert from now on. We can’t attack him again for a short period.”

After what had just happened, the only thing they could do was leave Black Star be for the moment.

His threat before leaving was just a scare technique to make Black Star keep being cautious about them so that he would always be afraid, alert, and careful, only to realize in the end that it was all for nothing.

Annoyed, Shana frowned and said, “That’s our only choice.”

“Hmm, I will suggest this to Albert and put Black Star under the Processing List,” Eliot said.

They actually had two hunting lists. One was for the confirmed targets; one was the Processing List. Those on the latter list were targets that they had failed to capture the first time, targets who they had alerted. They would not attack these people any time soon. They had to wait at least a few years until the target let their guard down, only then would they attack again.

Black Star was such a target. Eliot did not want to attack Black Star within five years, and he believed that Albert felt this way.

“You were right. We should have dealt with this by leaving him be.” Shana did not expect Black Star to be so cautious.

Eliot smiled and said, “It’s not too late. Although we exposed our hostility and let Black Star know that the three of us are targeting him, he knows nothing about our background. It will be useless no matter how much he searches for it. It will only make us keep a low profile for a while at most. He definitely will get no results and will never know who’s targeting him.

“As for us, we’re hidden and have the upper hand. He can’t be this cautious forever.

“Let’s return first. We might have to stop making moves for the next few years.”

Many had witnessed Black Star being attacked, and the message got out very quickly. However, there was all sorts of news in the Shattered Star Ring nowadays, and huge matters were occurring all the time. Although Black Star was quite well known in the Colton Star Cluster, he was not famous enough throughout the entire Shattered Star Ring. The news that he had been attacked was like a droplet of water in the sea of news and did not attract much attention.

More than ten days later, Han Xiao arrived at an unpopulated planet in a desolate area nearby after nonstop traveling. This planet that had been desolate for countless years was not remarkably boisterous.

All the forces that Han Xiao had contacted earlier had gathered there. Spaceships were parked everywhere on the planet’s surface.

All these forces wanted to find a lost person. They had followed Han Xiao’s request and come to this planet. They had all initially thought that they were the only ones, but now that they were there, they were shocked and did not expect Han Xiao to have called so many people.

Many organizations there were well known in the Shattered Star Ring and recognized each other. After a little bit of conversation, they all knew that everyone had assembled for the same reason. They were all stunned. Could all the people that were lost be connected in some ways? What clue had Han Xiao found?

The moment Han Xiao’s spaceship got close, everyone noticed it. After Han Xiao landed, all the people surrounded him.

These were all high-level officers of their organizations and very important. Usually, it would be difficult just to meet one of them, but now they were all gathered there. If Heber was there, he might think that someone was imitating his Tyrant Party.

“Black Star, when will we make a move?”

“Where are the enemies? Stop hiding.”

When Han Xiao contacted them, he did not say everything and only told them to gather there. Many were unhappy about that.

However, Ames was also there to stabilize the situation. Black Star was Dragon Emperor’s officer. Even though the people there all had very strong backgrounds, they did not dare cause trouble.

“The time has come. We will attack the enemy’s headquarters together. Your lost friends are imprisoned there…”

Han Xiao explained the situation. Through his Observer’s Mark, he confirmed that Shana and the others had returned to their base. The opportunity to get all of them had finally arrived.

Things were different now. Although it had taken many years to take down the Germinal Organization and DarkStar, that was because he had not been strong enough back then.

Now, however, the Black Star Army was rising quickly, and he had become someone important in the Shattered Star Ring. He did not want to have such strong enemies for that long. As soon as there was an opportunity, he would eliminate them and not leave any hidden threats.

So many organizations had sent out their elite troops; their power together could shock any civilization or organization in the Shattered Star Ring. There were dozens of Calamity Grades from different organizations in various areas. It was complete overkill for just six enemies.

The Great Mechanic Han’s networking ability was incomparable. The Black Star Networking Group was definitely not an exaggerated title!

The crowd was overjoyed upon hearing this. For the same goal, these organizations were all willing to follow Han Xiao’s orders temporarily.

When Han Xiao was communicating with the others, the players that he had brought along were all observing curiously from the back.

He had used a mission to have some players follow along. He did not need them to battle on this trip; he only needed them to be ‘reporters’ and send the video to the forums. This was the opportunity that he planned to use to deepen his impression and to remind the players of his charisma, increasing his personal charm and the faction’s attractiveness.

At the same time, Eliot and the rest returned to their hidden base in the desolate area of the universe.

Albert welcomed them and said, “I’ve heard about the situation. Leave Black Star be. We will keep a low profile for a while. Everyone stays in the base, don’t go outside.”

The others nodded. This could effectively avoid risks. They would only start their hunting mission again after hiding for some time.

They instantly threw Black Star to the back of their minds. To them, this matter was already dealt with.

What they did not know was… a disaster was secretly approaching

Kernid slowly opened his eyes. In front of him was a transparent light curtain, and outside was an area that looked like a prison. Translucent single person cells were spread evenly throughout the area, and almost every cell had a tenant.

He was one of them.

This was the prison that belonged to Shana and the others. It was to imprison the captured targets on the list.

All the prisoners had specially made mechanical rings on their wrists and ankles. These limited the power of these Grade As. These rings were embedded in their flesh. The rings on their wrists sent out nano-level needles into their blood vessels, hearts, brains, and other vital spots. The mechanical rings on their ankles were Super-Gene suppressors that weakened their recovery speed.

They had collars on their necks, too. These were enchanted with very powerful magic that disabled them from using spells and weakened them. The person that enchanted these spells was clearly much stronger than the prisoners. Hence, the effect was very long-lasting.

Other than this, many drugs were also injected into them, preventing the cells inside their bodies from generating energy.

So many imprisonment methods made these Grade As extremely weak.

On the first day that Kernid was imprisoned, he shockingly realized that the others imprisoned there were all as famous and important as him, if not more. However, they had all been captured and imprisoned there. He was justifiably petrified.

Kernid tried to escape but failed. So many others were unable to escape, and he was no exception. Furthermore, even if he did manage to escape the prison, there would still be enemies guarding and waiting outside, which made him despair.

After being imprisoned for so many days, he had given up and clearly knew that he would not be able to escape by himself. All he could do was pray that someone would come to save him. However, no one had come to save those other prisoners who all had such high positions. He could not help but feel that the chances of escaping were close to none. He was rather pessimistic.

However, speaking of being pessimistic, he was far inferior compared to his neighbor.

A male Spacehuman was imprisoned in the cell beside Kernid. That person had been maintaining a long face the whole time. He looked not just miserable but almost depressed. His name was Lagi[1], a lone Calamity Grade. From what he said, he had been imprisoned there for almost ten years. He was the most senior around.

The days of imprisonment were very boring. Their only entertainment was chatting with each other, trying to find at least a shred of joy in those hopeless days.

When those prisoners were having a good time chatting, as long as Lagi opened his mouth, he would unquestionably shatter the atmosphere.

Everyone there had once been important, and everyone was pessimistic about ending up like this. However, in terms of being pessimistic, Kernid felt that they were all trash compared to Lagi.

This time, the gate of the prison opened. Albert, Shana, and Eliot walked in. The prisoners started an uproar.

“Let me out of here. Do you know who I am?”

“You’ve messed with someone you shouldn’t mess with. You’re going to pay for this!”

“What is your goal!”

Many spoke with rage. Every time someone came to patrol, they would try to threaten them.

The three of them ignored the prisoners completely. They were not there to check on the prisoners as per schedule today. Due to the two failures that Black Star had caused them, out of caution, Albert had decided to keep things at a low profile and not do anything for a few years. Hence, they were now making a count on the prisoners and preparing to move them somewhere else.

They definitely did not capture these targets because they wanted to collect stamps from their areas; they had other goals. This place was not the final location that these prisoners would end up in.

The yelling and cursing did not stop, but the three of them did not care. They split up and did a count. Very soon, Shana came to Kernid’s cell.

Kernid bashed the transparent wall heavily and furiously said, “I remember you. You’re the one that caught me! The Light Rune Civilization will definitely get me out!”

Shana sneered. “You’ve still not given up? Do you really think someone will come to save you?”.

This time, Lagi slowly said, “Don’t worry, no one will come to save us. We’re definitely going to die.”

Kernid was instantly at a loss for words. He covered his face with one hand and said, “Whose side are you actually on?”

Even Shana was speechless. This guy had been imprisoned for almost ten years, so he had probably gone haywire.

After the count, the three of them prepared to leave. The prisoners were still yelling and cursing. Albert paused before turning around and saying to everyone, “I know, you all think you’re someone important. In reality, your positions in the Shattered Star Ring are not even worth mentioning in my eyes. In a few days, I will freeze you and send you out of the Shattered Star Ring. You will be determined as lost forever. You will never see your organizations or your families again. Fate is waiting for you ahead.”

All the prisoners quietened down, furious and frustrated. If what Albert said was true, it would really be the end of them.

Many were despairing, anxious, and afraid of what was going to happen in the future. No one knew what the goal of this organization was.

Lagi sighed and said, “Sigh, I’m guessing they’re going to make us experimental subjects and study our bodies. When we lose our value to them, they will then anatomize us; tear apart our bones, muscles, and organs; and place them in containers as specimens. Our name and life experience might be written somewhere on these containers. We will then become a collection to be displayed to others. ‘Look, this is the very developed brain of the Calamity Grade Kernid’ and so on…”

The others felt a chill run down their spines.

Kernid’s face was filled with question marks. Why didn’t you use your own name?

Albert stayed silent for a while, thought about it, and decided not to explain. He then said calmly, “Anyway, enjoy your last few days of clarity. The next time you wake up, you will be in another Star Field…”

The moment his words sounded…

Boom!

A loud bang!

The entire prison suddenly started shaking violently!

Albert staggered and almost bit his tongue. Shocked, he asked, “What’s happening?”

“Something’s happened above!” Eliot said with surprise.

The three of them hastily left the prison and closed the gate after them. The prisoners looked at each other.

“Could it be that someone is here to save us?”

They were instantly energized and saw hope again.

With his usual long face, Lagi slowly said, “Even if there’s someone here to rescue us, they might not be a match for the enemies. They will be killed in an instant. All of them will be wiped out. Their fleets will shatter, and the people inside will all be crushed and burnt into pieces. Your comrades, subordinates, and families might be among them. You will then be forced to eat those shattered parts of them, demolishing your spirit before anatomizing your body…”

“Shut the hell up!”

…

The shaking continued. Albert and the others returned to the main hall and met with the other three colleagues.

“What’s going on?”

“Enemies!”

Albert’s face turned grave. He then took the others out of the headquarters. When they got out, they discovered that an enormous amount of power was digging their headquarters out of the ground.

Two people were floating in the sky. When they saw who those two people were, Albert and the others were stunned and stupefied!

Black Star!

Dragon Emperor!

Ames was using her Esper ability to tear the ground apart, pulling their base right out of the ground.

“How can he be here?” Albert opened his eyes wide.

They had attacked Black Star not long ago, and now he was here. Their location was very well hidden, so how did Black Star find them?

Eliot could not believe it. He had never thought that Black Star would appear.

A thought suddenly appeared in his mind. He had just returned, and now Black Star had found this place—could it be that he had exposed them somehow?

The last time they attacked Black Star, he could only cautiously wait for the next attack. However, after his failure, Black Star was now able to come right for them. Even though he could not understand how Black Star had done it, he could only be the one to blame for it. There was no other explanation.

Could it be that letting him escape was part of Black Star’s plan?

Eliot was befuddled, feeling ashamed. Thinking back to when he escaped from Black Star’s ambush, he felt that he was an idiot for not realizing that something was wrong and that Black Star had bigger plans.

Shana was extremely upset. She felt that this was all because of her failure when she attacked Black Star the first time. If she did not act alone but worked together with her partner, they would have been able to capture him, and Black Star would have become their prisoner.

Albert forced himself to calm down. He knew that Black Star was dangerous, but he never expected Black Star’s counterattack to come so fast, bringing them so much danger.

Dragon Emperor was clearly helping Black Star. He had no confidence facing a Beyond Grade A at all, but he did not despair.

“Don’t panic. Although the opponent is Beyond Grade A, we still have a tiny bit of hope. Although we’re no match for the Dragon Emperor, we can at least stall her for a few moments. Eliot, whether we can escape or not all depends on you. We will create an opportunity for you to cast your spell.” Albert clenched his teeth.

At this point, he could not care about the prisoners anymore. They were in extreme danger, so they had no choice but to stand the pain of letting go what they had been working on for so many years.

Ensure their own safety first, explain to the people above later!

“Understood!” Eliot replied.

At this time, Han Xiao took a deep inhale and said with a deep voice, “Everyone, come here!”

Hum!

The next moment, countless streams of light slashed across the sky and hovered above Han Xiao.

The fleets covered the sky, and countless cannons aimed at the six of them. The Calamity Grades arrived and sealed all their escape routes, surrounding the six of them.

Albert and the others were petrified. They could not believe it.

How did Black Star… gather so many people ?

“Do it!”

Without saying much, Han Xiao told everyone else to attack altogether.

Villains always died for talking too much. He had no intention of speaking with the enemies. After they captured all of them, there would be plenty of time to have conversations with them.

“Run!” Albert screamed.

Seeing so many enemies, his last bit of hope shattered, leaving him only despair.

Covered in sweat, Eliot hastily tried to cast his teleportation spell. However, when he had only created a space vortex, it suddenly became extremely unstable. The teleportation gate that had always worked perfectly suddenly disappeared before it could even form.

Not far away, the eyes of a Grade A mage wearing a red robe was shining in the blue light of magic, and the staff in his hand was illuminating.

Spell Counter!

This time, only one thought was in the minds of Eliot, Shana, Albert, and the other three.

It’s over!

[1] The name ‘Lagi’ has the same pronunciation in Mandarin as the word ‘trash’ or ‘rubbish’.

The battle erupted in an instant.

Albert and the others were surrounded but did not give up resisting; they did everything they could to escape.

Indeed, all of them were very strong. However, the superiority of their individual strength could not overcome the collective strength of dozens of Calamity Grades. They were barely holding on.

Only Beyond Grade As could deal with a situation like this. Despite them being stronger individually, they were still in the Grade A range.

Boom!

The battle was intense, and the battlefield stretched across hundreds of miles. The earth was split open, and the ground was trembling. All sorts of abilities were flying all over the place; even the terrain was tremendously changed.

Following Han Xiao’s information, a few Mages kept their eyes on Eliot at all times. As soon as he showed any signs of trying to cast a teleportation spell, they would use all sorts of abilities to prevent him from doing so.

Eliot was completely restrained. He was furious and had nowhere to run.

He regretted using his teleportation spell to escape from Han Xiao’s ‘ambush’ not long ago. Clearly, that was why the enemies were so prepared.

Among the six of them, Albert was the strongest. He was a Psychic; his powerful psychic waves covered an extremely large area. He took on many people alone, hoping to create an opportunity for Eliot to cast a spell. However, his effort was wasted.

Black Star had gathered more people than he could ever have expected. Albert was filled with despair. Just the tens of Calamity Grades would be more than enough to cause them a lot of trouble, yet there were still tens of thousands of battleships in the sky and the Beyond Grade A Dragon Emperor.

This force that he had gathered would be more than enough to challenge the official army of a Star Cluster Civilization!

He had known that Black Star was dangerous but not this terrifying!

On the spaceship, the players that Han Xiao had brought along were having an exciting time doing nothing.

They had never seen anything like this. The excitement and awe of this battle between dozens of Grade As could even match up to the video where Dragon Emperor crushed the mothership in the previous version. Furthermore, in terms of thrill, this was even more exhilarating.

The players were all looking down from above. They could see the entire battle on the surface clearly. They all recorded videos of it and felt that their recordings might become the most astonishing videos on the forums.

On the way there, the players had all come to discover that Han Xiao had staged this. They felt like they were watching a cut scene of the storyline.

Han Xiao watched at the side. With so many helpers, there was no need for him to join the battle-he would have to repair his machinery if any of them got damaged.

It was completely one-sided.

He had planned to only receive the reward for the second round of the mission after he touched Feidin, but he had thought that attacking the enemies’ base might be the third round of the mission, so he had completed the second round long ago, hoping to receive the next round of the mission. However, the third round did not appear; attacking their base did not become a mission requirement.

Han Xiao was not surprised by this. He could not decide the mission requirements. Even though this was not a mission, he would still attack their base. The fact that the third round did not appear meant that there were more enemies—he had to find out the true identity of this organization.

Without touching Feidin for luck, the abilities that he had drawn from the second round were very ordinary. Han Xiao had selected one of Adrian’s normal talents (Bones of Steel), which gave him thirty Strength and twenty Endurance. This was already the most practical choice among the rest; it increased his maximum health by around three thousand points.

Bang bang bang!

The battle was one-sided from start to end and only lasted a while. The six’s resistance was meaningless; they had no chance of escaping. They were all captured and thrashed without any hiccups.

After capturing the six of them, the organizations all sent people into the prison to find the person that was missing from their organization.

Albert and the others were heavily injured and taken to Han Xiao. All their masks were taken off, showing their furious faces. There was still shock in their eyes; they still could not believe that they had been defeated by Black Star so easily.

Black Star’s counterattack came so quick and strong, easily defeating all of them. This was too difficult for the six of them to accept.

Han Xiao scanned through them and nodded.

Finally, all these people had been captured, and no one had escaped. He had achieved his goal.

“Who are you?”

Albert kept silent and glared at Han Xiao.

“No reply? Then let me change a question.” Han Xiao took out the hunting list and coldly demanded, “Who ordered you to capture these people in the Shattered Star Ring? Where did this list come from?”

Albert was shocked. “Why do you have this list?”

“You really think I don’t know about it? I’ve known about you people for a long time. Who’s the mastermind behind you?”

Shana could not believe it. She had thought that her failure had alerted Black Star, but it turned out Black Star had known about them long ago. Where did he get that information?

Albert still kept silent. It seemed like he had decided not to sell out the people behind him no matter what.

Han Xiao crossed his arms and said, “Do you think you’re able to stay silent after falling into my hands? I have plenty of ways to make you talk.”

Behind Han Xiao stood the Calamity Grades of many organizations, staring at Albert and the others. They were definitely not going to let the people behind this go easily. If Albert and the others were not going to talk, they were clearly going to be painfully tortured. These organizations would think of every way to get information from them.

Albert looked at these people then spoke slowly. “The end is death anyway; there’s no difference between talking or not talking. Unless you can let us live.”

“You’re not in a position to make requests,” Han Xiao said. “I can only ensure that you will be tortured less.”

“Okay… I will tell you.” Albert seemed to have made up his mind. “The Klent Kingdom ordered us to do this.”

Han Xiao frowned.

“I need proof.”

“I can prove our relationship with Klent. Our intelligence came from an intelligence organization under the Bloodshed Land; there are records for it. The hunting list was given to us by the Klent upper echelons. They want the Shattered Star Ring to be more chaotic, so they hired us to get rid of enemies and capture stronger individuals,” Albert slowly said.

No, it’s not Klent. Han Xiao frowned even more. It sounded like things were all connected, but the mission introduction clearly suggested otherwise. The truth was definitely not this simple.

He felt that Klent was most likely not the mastermind behind this mysterious group-there were contradictions in both their method and motive. Albert might be deliberately putting the blame on Klent.

Albert was done for; he had no choice but to give out some information. He might be lying to cover the truth and protect the real mastermind behind this, letting Klent take the blame.

As for why he chose Klent, it might be because Klent really was connected to this mysterious organization in some way. It might also be because Klent was the best choice to push the blame onto in the Shattered Star Ring.

Han Xiao stared at Albert’s eyes but could not see anything but sincerity. He squinted but did not continue to question Albert.

“I see.” Han Xiao suddenly smiled. “So, Klent is the mastermind. I believe you.”

“That’s right. If you want any evidence, I can provide it. I hope that you can keep your promise and not torture me.” Albert insisted that it was Klent.

The emissaries of the other organizations felt an immense sense of hostility toward Klent. They were furious.

“Is Klent out of their mind? How dare they do something like this? Do they think we’re easy to mess with?”

After Klent joined the Crimson Dynasty, they had become more and more imperious. Many organizations knew that Klent was ambitious, so they believed most of the ‘truth’ that Albert revealed.

The Purple Crystal Civilization emissary’s eyes sparkled, and he was secretly delighted. If Klent ended up taking the blame, they were willing to believe it regardless of whether it was the truth or not. This would make these organizations hostile toward Klent.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Albert and the others clearly wanted to hide the real mastermind, but Han Xiao was not planning to expose them and went with the flow of letting Klent take the blame.

le

He could search for the truth privately. After all, these people were now in his hands. He could do anything he wanted. Letting Klent take the blame was most profitable for him at the moment. This way, he could indirectly get more allies to help with the pressure during the secret war.

After so many organizations found out about this ‘truth’, the news would definitely spread across the entire Shattered Star Ring. By then, Klent’s reputation would be heavily damaged. Even if it was not the truth, it would become the truth for many people. There was no way Klent would be able to come clean from this.

Han Xiao initially only wanted these organizations to owe him a favor and build partnership relationships with them; letting Klent take the blame for this was a pleasant surprise. Furthermore, he would not be responsible for it.

This time, the team that had gone to find the prisoners brought all of them back. These unlucky people got rid of the constraints over their bodies and finally started to recover.

“Haha, people really have come to rescue us!”

“There are so many people here.”

Kernid and the others looked around with joyful faces. Many of them saw their organizations and returned to chat with their friends. Very soon, they got to know that it was Black Star who had provided the information that saved them.

They approached Han Xiao one after another to show their appreciation excitedly.

“If not for you, we would be done for.”

“Thanks, we owe you one. If there’s anything you need our help for in the future, be sure to tell us.”

“Black Star, from now on, you’re my brother.”

Han Xiao replied friendlily one by one. Notifications kept popping up on his interface; the relationship with these organizations rocketed and all jumped right to ‘Friendly’. For people that were saved such as Kernid, their Favorability increased the most.

He expressed his intention to keep this partnership going. Of course, the others were not going to reject. Not mentioning this favor, the Black Star Army itself was an organization that they were willing to work together with. This incident had become the bridge of their partnership.

After saving those unlucky people, Han Xiao’s network expanded tremendously.

The Purple Crystal Civilization emissary got what they wanted, too-some organizations were willing to join Section Zero and help Purple Crystal fight Klent, their shared enemy.

This was all thanks to Han Xiao. His Favorability with Purple Crystal increased by 2,000 points straight away. He was one step closer to exchanging Cutting-Edge Knowledge.

Han Xiao had another goal. Some of the people captured were lone Calamity Grades. After saving them and increasing their Favorability, there was a chance to recruit them.

After asking around, most of those lone Grade A Supers rejected him and expressed that they had no intention of joining another organization. Only one person was an exception, which made Han Xiao overjoyed.

Being able to recruit just one of them was already more than good enough. He was currently the only Grade A in the army; adding one more meant that the number of Grade As doubled.

This was also the first Grade A whom he had recruited.

The person that accepted the invitation looked very ragged and depressed it was no other than Lagi.

Lagi did not hesitate when he was invited. After being imprisoned for ten years, he did not want to go anywhere. Han Xiao had saved him, so he was willing to follow Han Xiao. The way he looked at it, no matter where he went, he would be rotting and dying anyway. It did not make a difference.

Han Xiao shook his hand and passionately said, “Welcome to the Black Star Army. You will definitely be satisfied with our treatment. We will be friends from now on. What’s your name?”

Lagi shook Han Xiao’s hand, sighed, and said, “I’m ‘trash’.”

“Come on, dude, you’re too humble…”

Han Xiao first returned to Floating Dragon to drop Ames and Aesop back. He then killed Albert and the others without hesitation. On the way to Floating Dragon, he had made a lot of Genetic Medicine from the six of them.

He was not planning to lock the six of them in the Galactic Pirates’ Warm Little House because he did not want to take that risk. He was never soft-hearted toward enemies.

After killing the six of them, Han Xiao received a lot of Experience and a few Character Summon Cards.

Albert and the others were very calm toward death; only Eliot was panicking and furious. Nonetheless, none of them revealed the true identity of the mastermind till the end. This did not affect Han Xiao in his decision to kill them, but he was surprised by their loyalty.

Someone that could make a Grade A+ this sincere was definitely terrifying. That someone being a Beyond Grade A was the only possibility. No matter which member of The Ancient Ones the mastermind was, it was not someone he could deal with.

He would definitely become that person’s enemy now that he had killed that person’s subordinates. Han Xiao had no other choice. The enemy had targeted him, and he could not have not resisted. Thus, it was unavoidable.

The third round of (Prey) had yet to appear. He had no idea how strong the next attack would be. The only good news was that at least Beyond Grade As would not casually go to another Star Field, which meant that he would not have to fight a Beyond Grade A. Nonetheless, he still felt immense pressure.

For that, Aesop personally did a one-time ‘fortune-telling’ on him. He roughly foresaw that this issue regarding the hunters had come to an end for the moment, and that nothing would happen any time soon. This made Han Xiao feel relieved.

Star Fields were separated by very wide desolate regions. Whether it was traveling across Star Fields or getting information across, they were not easy things to do. Now that Albert and the others had died, the enemy would not be able to get to him shortly.

Han Xiao’s position in Floating Dragon had been rising. He was Ames’ best assistant, and Aesop had high hopes for him. On the way to Floating Dragon, he told him quite a lot of secrets about The Ancient Ones and helped Han Xiao guess who the mastermind was.

The Ancient Ones were not united; every member had their ambitions. The reason they had formed an organization was to fuse the members’ influence into one and obtain a superior position in the universe, benefiting all the members. They rarely did anything using The Ancient Ones’ name.

Aesop felt that the master of Albert and the others was just one member of The Ancient Ones. At least that was much better than the entire The Ancient Ones.

After killing Albert and the others, the matter had come to an end. Han Xiao took Lagi back to the Base No.1 in the Garton Star System. Lagi was the only Grade A officer in the Black Star Army. Han Xiao introduced him to the other officers and let everyone know that there was a newcomer. Lagi had just escaped from imprisonment and was still rather isolated. He did not communicate with the others and went to familiarize himself with the environment. Han Xiao did not give Lagi any jobs yet.

With his Grade A strength, he was more than qualified to be the deputy captain. However, Lagi had just joined, and Han Xiao felt that he needed to know more about him more before giving him any important positions.

The secret war between Klent and Purple Crystal would not start any time soon, so Han Xiao could not increase his relationship with Purple Crystal even if he wanted to. There was nothing urgent to do, so he was quite free.

During the time he went out to look for trouble, there happened to be one huge matter that had attracted the attention of the players.

Pro League Season Two was about to start!

Some players uploaded the video of a scrimmage between tens of Calamity Grades, showcasing the Black Star Networking Group’s ability. Bun-Hit-Dog’s new video also mentioned information about the next version, which was related to the Crimson Dynasty as Han Xiao had said. These posts all got Han Xiao some attention. However, compared to the popularity of the Pro League, everything else was pushed side. Even he could not compete with the Pro League for popularity.

It was already the late stage of Version 2.0. Galaxy’s players had been steadily increasing through the version. Although it had not reached the explosive increase stage, there were already many players.

The first season was quite successful. There were now many people paying attention to the second season. Galaxy Times had been talking about the Pro League for a few consecutive episodes, heating things up.

Han Xiao returned to his room, took out a bottle of ‘Handsome and Happy’ water and gulped it down. He then opened the latest Galaxy Times episode. This was the last episode before the start of the Pro League. It was their last effort to add more wood to the flames of this huge event.

The two hosts showed off their ability to make cold jokes before talking about the main focus of the episode, emphasizing on the rules of the second season of the Pro League.

Version 2.0 added a few novice planets. However, most players had already left their novice planets and entered space. Hence, the divisions were adjusted and were no longer based on novice planets. The divisions were now based on Star Fields that had novice planets in them. As some novice planets were in the same Star Field, they were combined into the same division.

There had been thirteen divisions in the previous season, but now there were nine. This meant that the teams of some countries would meet before the main event. Strong teams would face off against each other to qualify for the next stage. Even though more teams were allowed to advance this season, the competition would still be more intense.

The locations for the divisions were no longer on novice planets but a few nearby unpopulated planets in every division. The entire planet would be the venue. As the players had already entered the galaxy, they would definitely be able to come to the venue.

The format did not change much; it was still Singles and Groups.

There had only been three types of battles in the previous season-Duel, Groups, and Singles. One more was added this season-Survival. As the name suggested, it was about surviving. This would appear both in the point-based Division Regulars and the International Regulars. There would also be two types of Survival matches, one for teams and one for single players.

According to the Galaxy Times’s introduction, the Team Survival was a battle between four teams. The only winner would be awarded a lot of points, the second and third would be awarded a certain number of points, and the last would not get any points. The Singles Survival would be a brawl between sixteen Singles players.

As for the schedule, the first stage was still the Division Qualifiers and Division Secondary League. All players would be able to register for the Division Qualifiers. The Division Secondary League was a jumping board for the second-tier teams of some clubs. The top forty teams and sixty-four Singles players would enter the Pre Season to warm up, followed by the Divisions Regulars.

The Divisions Regulars was point-based. The top eight teams and sixteen players would enter the Division Finals. After the Divisions Regulars, the ones at the top of the scoreboard would take part in the entertainment-oriented International All-Stars.

The Divisions Finals used the best of five format to determine first place and the runner up. As there were fewer divisions this season, the top four teams and eight Singles players would all be able to enter the International Regulars.

This time, the gap between the Internationals and the Divisions was hugely reduced; the schedule would be much tighter than the previous season.

The Internationals was also point-based. The most elite players from the various divisions would fight to determine the top eight teams and sixteen Singles players who would enter the International Finals, where the world champions would be determined.

Han Xiao looked at the forums’ videos and nodded in approval.

The format was the same as in his previous life; the difference was the people taking part in it.

The show then heavily focused on introducing players with potential in China. When the time for the interviews came, the captains of the four biggest clubs in China were invited. Frenzied Sword, who had finished among the top in the International Singles in the previous season, was also invited.

The two hosts asked them a few questions and chatted. The atmosphere was light and relaxed.

For the last question, the two hosts asked every team about their goal this season and what they expected. The answers these people gave made the Chinese viewers feel excited.

Dynasty’s King Admiral smiled lazily and said, “Dynasty only has one target this season, to win every single battle. We’re going to be the Division champion and the world champion!”

Temple of God’s Li Ge sounded very formal. “We will do our best to win every match and make use of all our strength. We hope to achieve enough in the Internationals to not disappoint the supporters of Temple of God.”

Fried Eggplants with Fish’s Sun Eggplant said with an expressionless face, “In the last season, we regrettably could not qualify for the Internationals. This season, we’re going to fight to become the last winner.”

Long Sky’s Hao Tian sat up straight and said with a very serious tone, “Our only target is the world champion!”

The four biggest clubs all confidently announced that they were going for the championship; this made the Chinese players all very excited.

In the last season, Dynasty had been the first runner up. Although it was not bad, the Chinese players were still quite sad that they did not win.

They were close to the top, so they were more determined to reach it. The words of these four clubs were very morale-boosting.

“Four teams will be able to qualify in the Internationals. If all four of our clubs enter the top four and the Internationals, that would be really

fun.”

“Hehehe, that might not be certain. Although they are all very strong, the other tier-one teams are not bad either. Rainy Kim’s Thunder Storm and Yan Ran’s Berserkers are not easy to deal with. Nine Gates, Sky Palace, and Dragons and Tigers are all very competitive, too.”

“I have high hopes for Rivervale. Frenzied Sword was top sixteen in the International Singles last season. Rivervale have rebuilt their team with him as the core. They might be a dark horse.”

Many viewers discussed their thoughts in the comments.

Frenzied Sword was not as confident as the other captains on the show. He said that this was his first time leading a team and that he would do his best to enter the Internationals. He did not dare announce that they would be champions.

The clubs of other countries were all quite pressured. Planet Aquamarine was the base of the Chinese players, and they had entered space more than a year earlier than the others. This had resulted in the average strength of the Chinese teams being very high. All of them were strong teams that were not easy to deal with. Even the champions of the previous season, the French team, did not underestimate them and said that they would do their best to become back to back champions.

Han Xiao was looking forward to seeing what place China would be able to achieve under his influence.

In the Pro League’s second season in his previous life, Dynasty had gotten third place in the Internationals and Temple of God had finished in the top eight. This time, China’s overall strength was clearly superior. It was not just their equipment, abilities, and experience, but also the fact that the pro players had taken part in galactic-level battles long ago. Their skills were honed as well.

The second season of the Pro League is an important stage. The first season was just a test. A lot more effort has been put into promoting the second season; it’s many times more influential than the first season. It will directly cause a huge number of new players to enter during Version 3.0. The better the results the Chinese teams achieve, the more exposure they will get, which will also be beneficial to my faction.

Currently, the roughly one million players in the Black Star Army had all been players from the earliest releases. There would be more newcomers joining in in the future.

The tons of new players in Version 3.0 were a second opportunity to expand the size of the army. Without the advantage of being the guiding faction, he had to compete with the many factions in Version 3.0. The Pro League would be a way for him to increase his faction’s attractiveness.

Other than these long-term benefits, every Pro League was a business opportunity.

The players earned money to turn it into their strength. During the Pro League, the players’ demand for equipment would explosively increase. The Genetic Medicines in his warehouse would sell very well. He was only worried about not having enough stock.

Pro League stimulated the players’ need to spend. The players were happy to empty their wallets. This was a chance to make a huge fortune.

A few unpopulated planets in the Garton Star System made up the competition venue. Han Xiao planned to gather a fleet to sell equipment at the venue. Whether it was to repair equipment, buy items, or learn abilities, the players would be able to spend on the spot. It would be amazing for them.

Anyway, whether it was amazing for the players or not, it was amazing for Han Xiao.

The Pro League is going to start in ten days. Time to go.

Han Xiao’s eyes sparkled.

With the day of the Pro League drawing ever closer, practically all the players began to gather on the host planet. Even if they were not competing, they could still participate in the arena as spectators. This would be a large-scale event involving the entire playerbase, and for players who loved lively events, this was something that they could not miss.

The uninhabited planet that served as the competition grounds started to be filled with life. Spaceships flew in and out, and the entire planet served as the battlefield, a vast area. The players officiating and volunteers had constructed many platforms and viewing stands. Continuing the style of the previous season, they had allowed the players to participate in the construction of the venue, to enhance their sense of being part of the event. Since there were also many players that were idling away, they were happy to help out.

The casual players prepared the venue in full swing on the planet, while the participating players took advantage of the time to do their final preparations, strengthen their equipment, and upgrade their skills.

Han Xiao had brought a fleet, with a flagship serving as the core. They carried various stocks from the warehouse as they came toward the game planet. When the Black Star fleet appeared, the players on the planet were surprised as they did not know why the Army’s fleet had appeared.

After the fleet arrived, it remained floating in outer space. The players were curious; thus, they entered the flagship, only to find Han Xiao inside.

When the players asked, Han Xiao’s reply was concise.

“My intelligence showed that a large portion of our mercenaries had gathered on this uninhabited planet. This puzzled me, and I thought that you guys would be in trouble, so I came over to take a look.”

This reason was both acceptable yet unexpected to the players. Many of them found it interesting.

The players had long gotten used to actual feedback from the NPCs. Their every action would determine the judgment of the NPC as well as the change in Galaxy itself. This sort of strong interactive feedback mechanism often left the players in full immersion.

As a member of the Black Star Army, to have tens of thousands of their people gathered in one place such that the leader of the faction actually got alarmed and came to inspect was a refreshing experience to the visitors.

In terms of character interaction, some players enjoyed role-playing, conversing with the NPCs in accordance with the game to make it as realistic as possible, while others liked to directly admit to Han Xiao that they were having a tournament.

“If that’s the case, I would like to assess my mercenaries’ growth. Just nice, I don’t have anything on at the moment,” Han Xiao replied in a natural tone, pretending to ignore the words such as ‘Pro League’ and other game related terms. He instead implied that they were doing this as a large-scale friendly spar.

The majority of players did not doubt him. They did not expect an NPC to appear to observe their Pro League, but this only made it more interesting.

In addition, upon finding out that the ship was stocked with various services for supply and maintenance as well as equipment and potions, the players were even more pleased. This meant that there was now a convenience store right beside them.

The happiest group was actually the club players. Because they were filthy rich, the services that Black Star provided could allow them to flexibly adjust their tactics without the need to run to other planets to prepare their supplies. This saved them a lot of time.

Having Han Xiao spectate the event would naturally not be suspicious to the players. As long as he did not move toward that topic, nobody would think about the strangeness of this whole affair.

No matter how low the possibility of a player suspecting him as an NPC, even if someone really found out, it was useless. For him to have gone through so much from the start, if there were problems, they would have popped up long ago. As long as he did not interfere in the Pro League, maintaining his distance, there was no need to panic.

Three days later, the highly anticipated Second Pro League officially began!

The first stage was naturally the qualifiers. This could be considered a side dish before the main course. Directed by the league staff, the numerous contestants formed teams to undergo an elimination process and obtain the qualifications to enter the formal round.

Because the venue was much larger compared to the First Pro League, the time taken for the qualifiers had been greatly shortened.

On the forums, the officials released the highlights of the qualifiers for each division. Any Second Pro League content was thoroughly analyzed, and anything not related to the Pro League was lost in the sea of posts.

The players of every country were discussing the giants, seeded players as well as potential dark horses.

On the Chinese board, the main teams of the four giants had direct team entry for the regular season and did not need to participate in the qualifiers. The teams that received the most attention were the front-line teams such as Thunder Storm, Fanatics, and so on.

Frenzied Sword’s Rivervale also caught the eyes of many. Eliminating team after team, they blazed through the qualifiers.

In the Singles, King Admiral, Frenzied Sword, and the others who had fought and entered the International competition also had the right to skip the qualifiers, sparing themselves from the intense competition.

Unlike the team qualifiers, because the Singles was open to all, the majority of players wanted to have a go at it. Thus, the number of players in that event was the highest, practically the entire gaming community.

Compared to Version 1.0, the strength of the players was now much stronger, giving rise to various genres and fighting styles, as well as tricks. The scenes were more intense, full of lights and stars as different abilities were used, making everyone who looked at it dizzy.

Since entering the galaxy, the players had also begun to come into contact with the Mage and Psychic classes. A number of newcomers, as well as old players who were playing on new accounts, had chosen those two classes. All the competition divisions had the same five professions for Supers, but the ratio was different. For the Professions that had only popped out in Version 2.0, the proportion of players were naturally the least.

However, compared to his previous lifetime, the situation had changed. Originally, the proportion of players in the Mechanic class had been the second lowest, ranked even behind the Mage class. However, the number of players with the Mechanic profession was the second highest, only losing out to the Pugilist class.

This was because Han Xiao had swayed a lot of players to the class advancement of a Mechanic back in Version 1.0.

The other point that Han Xiao noted was that the players in China had a stronger average strength, surpassing that of his past life. Because he had allowed Planet Aquamarine to enter the galaxy a couple of years earlier than the rest, be it experience, money, or combat capability, the region of Shattered Star Ring had more advantages compared to his past life. Rich resources had allowed for better support for various combat capability and tactics, and any half-decent battle teams had standards that were well above the norm.

The Second Pro League event was unprecedented, as the entire planet was used as a battlefield. The qualifiers and divisional battles proceeded quickly, and with the schedule being shorter than the first Pro League, the feeling was more intense.

In ten days, the qualifiers finally came to an end, and the season roster of each division was released.

The lists released in the other regions were not much different compared to the previous season, but in the Shattered Star Ring, the season roster had undergone a significant change. While the strong teams were still in the running as with the previous season, there were large changes seen in the lower rungs, with many new teams and players surfacing.

One of them that made Han Xiao feel a little surprised was Maple Moon, who was only supposed to take part from the Third Pro League onward. Not only did she participate in this season, she had even entered the roster of Top 64 places in the Singles tournament, making her one of the dark horses.

Han Xiao had watched the video channel of Maple Moon. She was usually grouped together with Frenzied Sword and Hao Tian, and their standards rose extremely quickly as a result. Whatever Enaus they earned would be spent immediately. She had possessed the potential to go Pro from the beginning, or else she could not have become so famous in his past life.

However, compared to his previous life, Maple Moon’s standard was still a distance from her peak. The main reason she had managed to enter the Singles ranking was because she had bought the blueprint of the Void Dragon Mechanical suit from Han Xiao and created her own poorer version of it. Only in the Third Pro League would the Mechanic profession begin to display its version advantages and rise to power. Right now, the Mechanic class was neither strong nor weak, and equipped with a mechanical suit that was considered god-like in this Version, while she could not crush everyone, Maple Moon could afford to make more mistakes.

As the saying went, every version would have a generation of gods. The Mechanic profession in Version 2.0 was not strong enough, but with the great tutor Han Xiao, the players who chose the Mechanic profession had cut off a lot of dead ends. At least within the Shattered Star Ring, the disadvantages of a Mechanic were not so obvious.

Within the Singles list, there were at least ten more players in the Mechanic class than in his past life. In the area of team battles, the Mechanic class was also an important team member required for every team.

Han Xiao had made quite the killing in the qualifiers. The machinery went without saying, as most of the players were using Black Star’s equipment. The sales for the Genetic Medicine also increased, with the clubs buying them in large quantities since they could provide a sudden edge in battle. If not for the abundance of stock, it was likely that the clubs would have bought all the Genetic Medicine that Han Xiao had in stock.

Taking advantage of the Pro League to earn a quick buck, the sum of Han Xiao’s bank deposit broke through his short-term goal.

With the qualifiers over, the main course was about to arrive.

The impact of Han Xiao’s recent large-scale operation still lingered, with the various organizations observing the every move of the Black Star Army.

The scene of large numbers of ‘Black Star Mercenaries’ gathering on a random planet for a competition gathered the attention of many of the organizations, which made them start to guess the intentions of Han Xiao.

When a few of the Mercenary Groups learned of this news, envy filled their expressions. This incident indirectly demonstrated the control that Black Star had over his Mercenary Group. Most mercenaries had no loyalty or bonds to speak of, but Black Star had thousands of these ‘comrades’. Not only were they cohesive, they were also willing to follow Black Star’s orders to act in unison without him having to spend a single cent. This was more reliable than those freelance mercenaries that most groups hired.

Many of the organizations believed that Black Star had what it took to transform from a mercenary group into a proper armed organization in the future.

Because the incident had added a lot of helpers to Section Zero, the Black Star Army’s name had entered the sight of the upper echelons in the Purple Crystal Civilization, and they looked favorably upon the Black Star Army.

Currently, Han Xiao only required a few hundred more faction favorability points to reach the Respect tier.

This time’s situation also attracted the attention of the Purple Crystal Civilization.

“Black Star has gathered more than eighty percent of his mercenaries on the planet to battle with each other. What is he doing?”

In the office of Section Zero, many of the foreign affairs officers were discussing this matter.

Ralph rapped on the table as he confidently smiled.

“There’s only one explanation. Training. Black Star’s training his soldiers!”

The eyes of everyone present lit up as they began to nod and praise him.

Ralph was full of smiles. In his mind, the Black Star Army was undergoing mock battles to simulate an actual battlefield.

“What a reliable ally.” Ralph could not help but sigh.

The Regulars were exciting as expected, and the competition was intense.

Han Xiao’s fleet remained on the host planet. In his free time, he watched the broadcast on the forums. Other than that, he sold all sorts of potions and built some machines.

Among the nine divisions, the Shattered Star Ring Division was the most exciting. The Black Star Army’s diverse range of machines provided the Chinese teams with many creative strategies such as group self-detonation with the nuclear flying backpacks. Those who used this strategy were clearly aware that they would not be able to qualify for the next round, so they decided to have some fun.

Compared to the competitions in the other divisions, the fights between the Chinese teams were more suspenseful. The Genetic Medicine that Han Xiao was selling added more uncertainties to these fights. Comebacks had already happened many times.

Near the end of the Regulars, the qualified teams for the finals in the various divisions were basically decided. To Han Xiao’s surprise, Frenzied Sword’s Rivervale team climbed as high as second on the point-based scoreboard, right below Dynasty, which almost won every single fight.

For Frenzied Sword, who was leading a team for the first time, this was outstanding. In fact, Rivervale was not very strong in direct battles, but it was like God was helping them in the new mode, Survival. They were able to be the last team standing many times. This gave them a lot of points. Hence, they rocketed to second place in the later stages.

The eight teams that qualified for the Shattered Star Ring Division Finals arranged in descending order were Dynasty, Rivervale, Long Sky, Thunder Storm, Thunder Storm, Fried Eggplants With Fish, Fanatics, and Nine Gates.

As for the Singles, King Admiral, Frenzied Sword, Hao Tian, Li Ge, and the other strong players all got into the top 16. Maple Moon was 38th place.

Despite not being able to qualify, her performance was quite good and attracted some fans. Although she did not achieve the results that she obtained in the third season in Han Xiao’s previous life, she gained some fame in advance. Quite a number of teams wanted to sign her into their training program.

The Division Regulars ended. The Division Finals would start after some resting time. As the schedule was tighter than the previous season, it would not be a long rest.

During that, the top teams from the nine divisions and the champions in the Singles took part in the International All-Stars and put on a show for the audience.

On the forums, the Chinese players commented that they could not wait to see Dynasty’s battle with strong teams with other countries. The champion of the previous season, Tulips, was the champion in their division. As the first runner up in the previous season, Dynasty had the opportunity to fight with the previous champion. Although it was just a performance, countless Chinese players still hoped that Dynasty could win.

Before the International All-Stars started, Han Xiao received some good news.

During this time of the Pro League for the players, the Star Beast Organization finally gathered all the rare materials Han Xiao had requested and sent them to Han Xiao from far away.

In the flagship’s hall, the Star Beast Organization member delivered an alloy box and said in a respectful tone, “Your Excellency Black Star, the goods you wanted have been delivered. Leader Gobili sends his regards.”

“Okay, thank him for me. We will have many opportunities to work together in the future.”

Han Xiao nodded and sent him away. He then took the box to his training room.

After closing the door, Han Xiao opened the box. Cold air flew out and obstructed his view. After it slightly dissipated, Han Xiao saw ten tubes of liquids inside with various colors. Some had multiple colors, some were transparent, and some were deep blue. These were all potions extracted from the essence of rare galactical creatures related to the Void Race in some way.

Injecting biological medicines had the risks of causing mutation. The most direct effect of it would be a decrease in attributes. The lower the compatibility, the higher the chances for a mutation to occur. To lower the risks, the creatures Han Xiao listed all had the Void bloodline. Han Xiao was one of the Void Race himself, so the high compatibility would hardly lead to any mutation.

Void creatures were difficult to find. It had taken the Star Beast Organization quite a lot of effort to obtain all of that.

Han Xiao took out the Injector and injected them into his body one after another. He always rested a while in between each tube to ensure that everything was fine before injecting the next tube.

The first few tubes gave him a few more points in attributes, but the effect was getting weaker. When he was at the sixth tube, it did not give him any attributes anymore. The last time his talent leveled up also happened when he continued injecting after he stopped getting bonus attributes.

As Han Xiao injected the last tube, a notification finally popped up on the interface.

Your talent (Intermediate Strengthened Life) has upgraded.

Upgrade complete, original talent changed to [Advanced Strengthened Life).

Advanced Strengthened Life: Provides extra health based on Endurance on a scale of 1:60, +25 Resistance, +10% all attributes temporarily for every 40% health lost.

“Finally, this talent is upgraded.”

Han Xiao had a joyful expression on his face.

Before the upgrade, the ratio of Endurance to health was 1:30, but it was now 1:60. There was also the effect of getting a ten percent bonus in all attributes temporarily for every forty percent health lost.

“I have two talents that can exchange between mana and health, which makes my health recovery extremely fast. If every forty percent of my health lost triggers a new effect, this means that the longer the battle is, the stronger I will become.”

Harmon had a similar ability, and he had seen its power with his own eyes.

“The only problem is… I’m too tanky. It will take too long to reduce my health by forty percent.”

Han Xiao opened the interface and looked at his health.

(Health: 117,910)

“Hehe, finally, my health is more than a hundred thousand. Even if the Vanguard Officials of the Bloodshed Land fight me all at once, I will be able to tire them out easily. When the secret war starts, I’ve got to find them to have some fun.”

Han Xiao chuckled.

He was so tanky that instead of being called a Mechanic, he might as well be called a Musclechanic.

At the center of the known universe was the base Star Fields of the three Universal Civilizations, which formed a triangle. These were the most advanced and bustling Star Fields in the entire galaxy. This place was called the Central Galaxy. It was the universe center of the strong, the powerful, and the rich.

The Abyss of Stars was one of the three Star Fields in the Central Galaxy, the core territory of the Federation of Light.

In this Star Field, there were some known forbidden areas.

The Shadow Realm was one of them.

This was a manually modified planet, and beside it was an eerie black satellite. There was no land, no seas-it was as if this was a gaseous planet formed by some sort of black gas.

The Shadow Realm was a forbidden place in the Abyss of Stars because this was the territory of a Beyond Grade A [Thousand Shadows).

Just like the Shattered Star Ring, there were also Beyond Grade As in the Abyss Of Stars. In fact, there were more than four of them. Between the Beyond Grade As in the Abyss of Stars, Thousand Shadows was known to be an outcast.

No one knew his name; no one had seen his real face. Every traveler who stepped into the Shadow Realm had disappeared without a trace. This gave Thousand Shadows an aura of mystery and danger. People could only know about him through parts of legends.

These legends could be traced back to as early as the end of the exploration era, meaning there were records of Thousand Shadows dating back to thousands of years ago.

There was a city in the Shadow Realm, comprising many buildings and a lot of bases. Countless spaceships were docked there. However, strangely, there was almost no one there. It was deadly silent.

A man sprinted down the completely empty street. His footsteps and the sound of wind were among the only sounds in this city.

There was a tall tower-shaped palace in the middle of the city. This man ran into the open door of the palace, through the deadly silent corridor, past the spiral staircase, and arrived at the top of the palace.

This was a room, a very wide and spacious room. At the end of the room was a wall embedded with a circular black mirror. The man came before the mirror, and the pitch black and smooth mirror reflected the man’s face. He had an ordinary look, except his eyes were pure white like two white crystals.

The man stared at the mirror and softly spoke.

“Your Excellency Thousand Shadows, I did not intend to disturb your rest. Some things have happened; Albert has failed. The team in the Shattered Star Ring was wiped out. Their prey was rescued. We need your guidance.”

Then, the man patiently waited for a reply. After a while, the mirror suddenly started rippling. An indescribably eerie voice appeared. It was ethereal and husky, like the murmur of a higher dimensional being.

“The others?”

“The teams capturing prey in other Star Fields have not met any trouble. Everything is normal.”

“The new shadows… Will convey my message…”

The next second, the black satellite in outer space suddenly launched a thin, long beam, heading right to the Shadow Realm and accurately landing at the top of the palace. It was like a bridge that connected them.

Swoosh!

A rippling sound came from the black mirror. The next moment, ten black shadows walked out of the mirror one after another like walking into reality from the world inside the mirror. These shadows were all completely pitch black. Tiny black dust made from an unknown material was dissipating from them and vaporizing in the air. The shapes of these shadows were gradually changing. New limbs kept growing out and disappearing.

Within a few seconds, the ten shadows finally stopped changing shapes. The black color on their bodies rapidly disappeared, and they turned into ten beings of different races. There were some that looked like humans and some that did not. Their faces and body shapes were all different, too. It was like they were all individual beings.

The leader was a beautiful, naked woman. Her eyes were closed. She took a deep breath. As if the air she inhaled had awoken her bodily functions, only then did she slowly open her eyes. Her blank, lifeless eyes started to look lively and intelligent. She did a stretch and moaned.

“How long was I asleep? I seem to have forgotten many things…” The woman raised her eyebrows and seemed to be trying to recall something. “My name is… Stephanie?”

The man at the side was used to this. He bowed and said, “Hello Stephanie, what orders does His Excellency Thousand Shadows have?”

Thousand Shadows? Stephanie felt a sense of belonging to this name, and a lot of memories started appearing in her head. Without hesitation, she said, “He told us to continue Albert’s mission and capture the targets on the list, bringing the escaped prey back.”

The man nodded and said, “Okay, the ten of you will be the new team in the Shattered Star Ring. Follow me to get your equipment. Rest for a while and get going. Remember what happened to Albert. You have to be stealthier when carrying out the mission.”

“I’ll do my best,” Stephanie replied.

The schedule for the International All-Stars was released. The first match was already very excitingthe fight between the champion and the first runner-up of the previous season-Tulips vs. Dynasty.

The event organizers clearly knew that this would bring more attention to the All-Stars event, so they heavily promoted this match. In all the pro competitions, inviting the champion and the first runner-up of the previous season as the opening match of the All-Stars was a kind of tradition.

This was highly effective. This opening match was extremely popular, especially among the Chinese viewers. Being first runners-up was an achievement, but it was also regretful. They hoped to see Dynasty’s victory over Tulips and start off this season with a blast.

Not just the spectators, but all the teams that intended to enter the Internationals were paying attention to this opening match, wanting to learn more about Dynasty and Tulips. When the time came for them to face one of these strong teams, they could at least be somewhat prepared.

Han Xiao was paying attention to this match as well. After all, Dynasty’s guild had bulk purchased hundreds of Ability Potions from him. He had to observe the effects they would bring and think about after-sales services.

Like the previous season, the store would sell a specific Gathering Crystal to bring the attending players into the same virtual environment for the match. It would be broadcast officially as well as by the Galaxy Times.

A few days before the match, the Galaxy Times interviewed both the Tulips team and the Dynasty team, asking about what they thought of this match.

Tulips’ captain, Lost Angel, was extremely confident and said that they would definitely win this match, protect their honor as the champions of the previous season, and so on. As they were the previous season champions, most of the spectators naturally had higher hopes for Tulips.

As for Dynasty, King Admiral did not know the meaning of the word ‘humble’. He directly said for Tulips to wash themselves up and wait for him to wipe the floor with them. Of course, those were not his original words, but that was what he meant.

In this situation, the Chinese supporters did not want to see Dynasty being humble—this confidence boosted their morale much more. They all showed their support on the forums. After all, Dynasty had looked almost undefeatable throughout the Division Regulars. The Chinese players had very high hopes for Dynasty. The last thing they wanted to see was Dynasty doing what the Temple of Gods had done the previous season.

The various professionals analyzed the match before it started. Most of them felt that Tulips was slightly stronger-even the official host of the event thought so. They placed Dynasty in the challenger’s position.

Galaxy Times did a conclusive report.

“King Admiral and Lost Angel have both made their victory announcement. Indeed, both of them have the potential to win. They will definitely have an exciting and unpredictable battle that will stay suspenseful until the very last moment. Let’s look forward to who will be the final winner.”

The day of the opening match soon came.

Countless players swarmed into the live broadcast channel. Other than the official channel, there was also the Galaxy Times’ channel, which invited guests to watch the match together. Many viewers chuckled upon seeing the guest list of the Chinese version Galaxy Times—Bun-Hit-Dog was in it.

Bun-Hit-Dog’s video career was blooming. He had finally turned himself into someone famous and now had both fans and haters. Him mixing with the other guests who were all pro players looked quite entertaining

The two teams had entered the match venue with their Gathering Crystals long ago. Led by the host, King Admiral and Lost Angel both did a short interview on the scene before going to make preparations.

While waiting, the commentators and guests speculated and started chit-chatting.

The female commentator of the Chinese version Galaxy Times said to the guests, “The match is about to start soon. How about you guys try to predict the result and tell us which team you think is more likely to win. Oh, and please do tell us the reason for your choice.”

The replies of the guests were all similar. They all said Tulips was strong, but they felt that Dynasty had a higher chance of winning. They then went on to give plenty of logical reasons for their choice. Mainly, it was just because they did not dare support the opponent in front of the Chinese viewers.

That was all except for Bun-Hit-Dog, who was not like the others. His position was extremely firm and without hesitation.

“I support Tulips; the French team will win!”

The guests were all surprised.

The commentator could not help but ask, “Are you sure? Why?”

“Well, it’s a little difficult to explain…” With a serious face and tone, Bun-Hit-Dog said, “Have you ever heard of reverse psychology?”

The commentator was speechless. He had thought that Bun-Hit-Dog had lost his mind, but it turned out that he was just joking.

After Bun-Hit-Dog explained, the comments finally turned from all question marks into countless ‘The French will win’ comments.

After the commentators and guests joked around and chatted for a while, the match officially started. The relaxing atmosphere instantly became intense. The viewers all focused on the match.

The first match was a team match. The broadcasting view followed both teams at all times. Han Xiao was mainly looking at Dynasty.

The venue was random, and it was a rather complicated terrain. After Dynasty entered, they did not hastily look for the enemies but took out one mechanical item after another.

The commentator spoke at a suitable time. “Dynasty has chosen the steady strategy. They’ve used mechanical items to create an advantageous situation for them. One thing I should mention is that the items Dynasty is using are all Black Star series machines. The Black Star Army has a full set of machinery products. This has given the teams in the Shattered Star Ring division an advantage in designing their strategies. Comparatively, team Tulips does not have this advantage.”

Bun-Hit-Dog nodded and added, “Definitely. According to my investigations, the players in the other divisions lack methods of obtaining set equipment as easily as the Black Star Army. Although the pro players are still able to gather a full set of top-notch equipment, this will have taken them more time.”

As soon as the Black Star Army was mentioned, the Chinese players were like on steroids. The comments were filled with ‘Black Star is awesome’, ‘Notice me, captain’, ‘Dragon Emperor licker here’, and so on.

When the Black Star Army was mentioned in an international event such as this, the Shattered Star Ring players became extremely exhilarated. The Black Star Army was the bridge that connected the many players in the Shattered Star Ring—it had become their shared language.

Han Xiao was rather surprised. He had not been mentally prepared for the sudden mention. He suddenly had a strange feeling of ‘Wherever I’m not, my legends are’.

The match continued. The two teams moved on the map and finally discovered each other. They quickly approached each other.

The viewers immediately grew nervous. They held their breath and waited for the intense clash between two strong teams they had expected…

However, dreams and reality are often very different. The actual situation was far from what they thought it would be.

There was no intense battle between two similarly strong teams—Dynasty thrashed Tulips from the beginning to the end, beating them up and ending with an overwhelming victory.

The commentators and guests were at a loss of words. The Chinese viewers were beyond exhilarated. On the other hand, the viewers of the other countries were stunned. Most did not support either of the teams, but they did look forward to an intense battle. To their surprise, the champion of the previous season was overwhelmingly and easily defeated.

The Duel that followed ended with Dynasty’s complete victory as well.

The official casters and judges were all stupefied. The host wanted to make the opening match an exciting battle between two extremely strong and skilled teams. This was also why they had invited the champion and the first runner-up of the previous season. To their absolute shock, Tulips had been easily crushed by Dynasty.

It was Dynasty’s complete, one-sided victory. The comments went crazy, and the Chinese spectators were overjoyed.

Han Xiao was not surprised by this result at all. In his previous life, Tulips had also been the champion of the first season, but they had become a normal, stronger than average team in the second season and almost did not even make it to the International top

As for Dynasty, they were much stronger than the previous season. To Han Xiao, this result was very normal.

Although Tulips was the champion of the previous season, the French lacked a special advantage that the Chinese players had—there were too few hateful comments!

Unlike the Chinese players who had been fighting in such a harsh environment, they had no pressure. The Chinese players were always motivated to become better so that they would not get so many hateful comments. However, Tulips became relaxed after winning the championship.

In the same opening match in his previous life, the two teams had been Tulips and the American team Devil, where Tulips was also demolished by Devil. Now that Dynasty had taken over Devil’s place in the first season, the one that demolished Tulips became them.

After the opening match ended, the various professionals all changed their minds and started praising Dynasty as they usually would, praising the winner after the match.

The teams of the other countries all saw Dynasty as the strongest competitor and focused on studying the match recordings, trying to design better strategies.

Dynasty’s victory was sensational and received a lot of attention. Their fame surpassed that of the other three clubs very quickly. The Chinese supporters all cheered for them and almost saw them as their main team. With their excitement and joy also came their very high hopes.

The majority of the players in team Dynasty were somewhat nervous.

As members of one of the biggest clubs, they knew full well that this situation was a double-edged sword. Of course, if they kept winning, they would surpass everyone else and almost become god players.

However, once they lost, the mistakes of every single one of them would be indefinitely enlarged, and they would be drowned by the hateful comments. The more attention they got, the more pressure they would receive. King Admiral was the only one unaffected by this at all.

After the opening match, the International All-Stars officially commenced. The strong teams fought each other in entertaining ways to kick off the International Regulars.

The champions of all nine divisions showcased their skills and displayed their strength.

The schedule for this season was very tight. The end of the All-Stars was followed by only a few days of rest before the Division Finals started.

In the Shattered Star Ring Division, the eight teams were split into four pairs based on their ranking: Dynasty vs. Nine Gates, Rivervale vs. Fanatics, Long Sky vs. Fried Eggplants With Fish, and Temple of Gods vs. Thunder Storm. The format was best of five.

The most interesting pair was Long Sky vs. Fried Eggplants With Fish—the two biggest clubs met in the first round. As only the top four could qualify for the International Regulars, this meant that one of them would not be able to qualify.

In the previous season, Fried Eggplants With Fish had not been able to enter the International Regulars. This time, their morale was extremely high, and they had sworn to defeat Long Sky in order to qualify.

Sadly, Long Sky still won. Fried Eggplants With Fish did not qualify once again and went to the corner to draw voodoo circles.

Very soon, the first round of the Division Finals had ended. As expected, Dynasty defeated Nine Gates and kept their momentum.

Rivervale had a close, intense battle with Fanatics. At the match point of 2:2, Frenzied Sword and Evil Sword surged at a crucial moment and barely defeated team Fanatics, led by Yan Ran. Rivervale entered the top four.

The result of Temple of Gods vs. Thunder Storm, however, was very unexpected. Rainy Kim wiped the floor with Li Ge, eliminating Temple of Gods with a score of 3:1 and entering the top 4. Temple of Gods joined Fried Eggplants With Fish in drawing voodoo circles in the corner.

The top 4 was determined—Dynasty, Long Sky, Rivervale, and Thunder Storm. The result was quite surprising for many viewers. Two of the biggest clubs could not qualify for the International Regulars.

The top 4 teams were already qualified for the International Regulars. Next was the fight to be the Divisions champion. This was an honorable achievement as well.

The second draw made Han Xiao suspect that Frenzied Sword had touched Feidin beforehand as well. The two biggest clubs were due to face off against each other, Dynasty vs. Long Sky, whereas Rivervale had drawn the comparatively weaker Thunder Storm.

Frenzied Sword had only started to lead a team this season. Originally, team Rivervale was just a second-tier or even third-tier team, yet they qualified for the International Regulars. They were definitely a dark horse and attracted a lot of attention.

As a Mechanical Pugilist, Frenzied Sword’s style was diverse, mature, and steady. He was much more famous compared to the previous season. He had started to make a name for himself in the pro scene.

Due to Han Xiao, Frenzied Sword had chosen a different class from his previous life. However, based on his current situation, his pro career was much smoother.

After a few days, the result of the second round of the Division Finals was decided. Dynasty defeated Long Sky steadily, and Rivervale barely beat Thunder Storm. Dynasty met Rivervale in the last round for the championship.

Frenzied Sword could not carry on his luck from before; their raw skill difference was too vast, and he could not lead Rivervale to victory. In the end, they finished first runners-up, and Dynasty were once again the Divisions champions.

King Admiral had made the announcement before the competition started that they would finish both Divisions champions and International champions. They had already achieved one of them. Dynasty continued to attract more attention as time went on; countless players hoped that Dynasty could really live up to their words.

To Frenzied Sword, getting the first runner-up the first time he led a team was satisfying enough. His team still had a lot of room to improve and practice their teamwork. Rivervale was certainly the dark horse of this season, and they obtained a lot of new fans.

Long Sky defeated Thunder Storm and got the Divisions second runner-up. If not because they had met Dynasty in the second round, Hao Tian’s team would have been the first runners-up of the Divisions.

The results of the various divisions were decided, and the Divisions ended. There were more than ten days to rest before the International Regulars.

There were no more matches in the various divisions. The Internationals could not be viewed at the scene and only watched on the broadcast. Hence, the players did not remain on the planets used for the Divisions and went to do their own stuff while paying close attention to the forums.

Due to the Divisions, countless players did not do any mission during this time. Only more than a hundred thousand mercenaries in the Black Star Army and very few players were still taking on missions. However, although the business was neglected, not only did Han Xiao not make a loss, but he made a humongous amount of profit instead.

Most of the Ability Potions were sold. The business of selling machines and repairing equipment was also quite profitable. Han Xiao had made many tens of millions of Enaus, almost doubling his bank account while emptying the wallets of many players.

With this money, he could purchase more fleets and recruit more freelance mercenaries. During the version update when he would not have the help of the close to a million players, he would have to rely on the money that he had earned from them to develop himself. Ten years was not a short period of time—the more money he could make before that, the merrier.

After the players left, Han Xiao returned to Base No.1 and sent out a message to recruit people from all around the Star Cluster. He started to prepare for the secret war that was about to break out between Klent and Purple Crystal. His current focus was to get more Favorability from Purple Crystal and obtain the Cutting-Edge Knowledge. Before he obtained the Cutting-Edge Knowledge from the Purple Crystal Civilization, he was not planning to personally take on any other missions.

However, Han Xiao received a mission that he could not reject-it was a message from the Sky Ring Army.

One mercenary team from Sky Ring encountered dangers that they could not resolve during their mission. The initial mission was an ordinary mission to deal with the rebellion on a planet. According to the employer’s explanation, the strongest person among the enemies was just Grade B. However, a Calamity Grade enemy appeared. The Black Star Army was the nearest ally that Sky Ring had, so this team could only request emergency reinforcements from Black Star.

Black Star had become one of the top mercenary groups long ago, but he still maintained his partnership with large mercenary groups such as Sky Ring. Usually, Han Xiao would definitely help them himself since it would not be too much trouble, but this time, he did not want to go there himself. Hence, he called Lagi over.

Ever since he joined the Black Star Army, the previously unoccupied Magic Research Lab had become Lagi’s territory. He spent every day there doing research and studying. Using his words, he was ‘doing meaningless things to make time pass faster while waiting for himself to rot and grow old.’

However, despite being extremely pessimistic and negative, his raw skills were too high. He improved the magic aspect of the Black Star Army single-handedly. At the very least, a Grade A Mage’s enchantment effect was far superior to a Grade B’s. Han Xiao had already gotten Lagi to re-enchant his mechanical suits and weapons, which considerably increased their stats while adding many special effects.

Han Xiao planned to send Lagi to do this mission. No matter what, he was the only Calamity Grade officer, and he had to at least take on some responsibility.

With Lagi, the Black Star Army could deal with Calamity Grade missions even without Han Xiao. He did not have to do everything himself anymore.

Sylvia brought Lagi to Han Xiao’s room, and Han Xiao cut to the chase. “I have a mission for you.”

“I knew it.” Lagi sighed. “Bad feelings often are proven to be right.”

Han Xiao ignored him and explained, “One of Sky Ring’s team requested reinforcements from us. The enemy is a Calamity Grade. Currently, in the army, you’re the only one that can deal with a Calamity Grade other than myself. As the captain, it’s not suitable for me to settle this kind of low priority matter. Hence, you will be going there to rescue them. This is your first mission. I believe in your strength. You can pick any spaceship from the hangar apart from mine. The information about the target and the coordinates have been sent to you.”

“I have a question.”

“What.”

“Can I not go?”

“Take a guess.”

Lagi tested the waters and asked, “If they are already all dead by the time I arrive, does that mean I don’t have to do the mission anymore?”

Han Xiao squinted and said, “Are you thinking about taking a detour to purposely waste time?”

“I’m exposed…” Lagi had a bitter expression on his face.

Is this person even reliable at all? Veins popped out on Han Xiao’s forehead. He sighed and said, “Quickly get going. I don’t want to see your first mission end with a failure.”

Lagi gave a long sigh. He looked up at the ceiling of the room at forty-five degrees and said, “Sigh, I’m probably going to be killed by the enemy. I never thought sacrificing myself in my first mission would be the end of my life. I want to write down my last words before leaving…”

“Quick-ly-go!”

Lagi left while sighing and shaking his head. Sylvia was trying so hard to hold back her laughter at the side that she was tearing up. Her cheeks were inflated, and she was pressing her mouth with her hands, letting out some suppressed laughter.

“Teacher, where did you dig this treasure out from?”

Han Xiao shot her a glare and said, “He’s just a little pessimistic at most. At least he’s useful and much stronger than you, yet you can still laugh? I told Reynold to supervise you. Have you been learning from him properly? Are you done with your homework?”

“Done long ago!” Sylvia’s expression instantly collapsed. She snorted unhappily, swung her ponytail, and left angrily.

Han Xiao curled his lips.

There were many officers in the Black Star Army. In Han Xiao’s eyes, the ones that had the potential to reach Grade A were only Herlous, Aroshia, Feidin, Sylvia, Harmon, Reynold, and Hila and Aurora, who were training under Ames. Reynold was currently the closest to Grade A, and Sylvia was the furthest.

Sylvia had achieved Grade A in his previous life, so Han Xiao always had high and strict requirements for her.

During the rest time, all the qualified teams from the various countries were announcing the status of their training every day.

Although Temple of Gods did not qualify, Li Ge was very smart—he volunteered for his team to help in the training for the top four teams in the Divisions, helping them in their conditioning before the Internationals. This got him some attention, and his reputation slowly recovered. The other strong teams saw this and did the same thing.

Coincidentally, in the eyes of the fans, this situation became the Chinese teams uniting due to their strong sense of collective honor. They had let go of their disagreements in the past and were helping their opponents, all so that the Chinese would become the world champions. Therefore, the Chinese players became even more passionate and excited.

Before the Internationals started, the reporters interviewed all the qualified teams. The teams from America, Sweden, Japan, and Korea all declared they would be the champions. Due to Dynasty’s outstanding performance during the All-Stars match, the reporters mentioned Dynasty specifically and considered them candidates for the top spot. The reporters asked these teams if they had the confidence in beating Dynasty. All of them announced that they would defeat Dynasty with confidence.

The break quickly passed. The International Regulars that the audiences from all around the world were looking forward to arrived.

The thirty-six teams from nine divisions all entered the venue. The venue was an arena even bigger than the previous season. As usual, the first day was the opening ceremony and the drawing of lots to determine the groups.

There were still three groups-A, B, and C. The teams would fight every other team in the group once, and the top eight teams with the highest points would qualify for the International Finals.

Long Sky entered Group A, Dynasty and Rivervale entered Group B, and Thunder Storm entered Group C. The stronger and comparatively weaker teams were rather evenly spread out through the three groups, unlike the previous season where the skill differences between groups were enormous. This time, there was no ‘weak group’ or ‘group of death’. This meant that there would be almost no luck involved-one could only enter the finals through actual skills.

In Han Xiao’s previous life, China had only reached the top four in the second season. This time, both Dynasty and Long Sky had a chance of becoming the champion. Han Xiao was quite curious about what the Chinese teams could achieve this season under his influence.

The International Regulars officially commenced. The fans from the various countries cheered for their favorite teams passionately. It was boisterous and full of life.

When the competition arrived at the mid-stage, the situation started to get clearer. The spectators had a rough idea of which teams were stronger.

Dynasty maintained their momentum and stayed at the top, second was Sweden’s Tomahawk, and America’s Devil followed.

Long Sky was fifth. Hao Tian seemed to have been holding back during the Divisions and only went full out at the Internationals. They showed the skills of a champion worthy team.

Both Thunder Storm and Rivervale were in the upper half of the list and stayed competitive. The average strength of the Chinese teams was very high, so the Chinese fans were very surprised and excited.

To the Chinese players, the Internationals were going extremely well. Dynasty and Long Sky both had the ability to qualify, while Rivervale and Thunder Storm seemed to have a chance of entering the top eight.

However, in the second half of the competition, something controversial and upsetting happened.

In the Survival matches that involved four teams, Dynasty repeatedly faced the situation where the other teams cooperated to eliminate them first. They were unable to get any points from the Survival matches, which resulted in their top position to get shaky, even starting to show signs of being surpassed by Tomahawk and Devil.

Originally, it was almost certain that Dynasty would have the most points in the end, but now it seemed to be slipping away right through their fingers. The Chinese supporters were furious. Countless Chinese viewers strongly and blatantly expressed their rage and contempt toward the teams that worked together on the various forums.

Posting hateful online comments was a basic ability of the Chinese players. The Mandarin language is deep and has a history of close to 5,000 years. Every player had experienced countless bloody verbal battles. In this environment, not to blow one’s own trumpet, but in terms of cursing and hateful comments, the Chinese were superior compared to all other countries.

The forums became another battlefield. The fans of the other teams wanted to protect their team’s reputation and argued that since the Survival mode was a scrimmage, working together was a sensible, logical strategy.

However, to the Chinese players, logic was as useful as farts, not to mention they were the victims in this situation. Their merciless and relentless cursing and toxic comments defeated the enemies and forced them to retreat.

This nonsense cracked Han Xiao up. He loved to see his countrymen curse; it could always give him a full day of joy.

Actually, it was not unreasonable for the other teams to work together in Survival. They were not doing it because of Dynasty’s results but because Dynasty was too strong. If they did not work together, Dynasty would most likely be the final winner.

Dynasty was not worried about qualifying with their current points, but the other teams had to fight for the top eight positions and needed those points. Hence, eliminating Dynasty first was indeed a sensible and reliable strategy.

This online argument affected the organizers, who told Dynasty to say a few words in order to end all this nonsense. However, not only did King Admiral’s reply not extinguish the players’ passion, it poured another gallon of gasoline onto the flames instead.

“No big deal, one who’s not envied isn’t talented. No matter how they work together to fight me, the only difference it will make is what ranking we will qualify with. When it comes to the finals, I will teach them the meaning of life one by one!”

King Admiral directly taunted everyone. The Chinese players were so exhilarated that they hoped the finals would start now so that they could watch Dynasty thrash every opponent.

Han Xiao got goosebumps.

To provoke all those people at once, Dynasty was really not afraid of dying at all!

However… it did make things much more interesting.

The top six places were practically solidified, and Dynasty as well as Long Sky had locked in their qualifications in the regulars. In the second half of the International Regulars, although the Dynasty team had encountered a siege in the Survival battle, they maintained unparalleled momentum during the team and ring battles. They secured first place, not allowing any of the following teams to overtake them.

The competition for the seventh and eighth place was the fiercest. Because the gap between seventh to thirteenth was miniscule, with only the last few matches left, there were seven teams with the opportunity to qualify. Rivervale was one of them, and as for Thunder Storm, it was a pity that they could not. While Rainy Kim was beautiful, the value of esports did not lie in one’s appearance. She could not support her team with her skills alone, so they missed out on the chance to qualify.

Frenzied Sword and Evil Sword became the Captain and Vice Captain respectively. With their potential stimulated after so many battles, their cooperation had become more tacit. The fans regarded them as the symbol of the Rivervale team, calling them ‘Two swords combine as one’.

There was only one game left in the regular season. Rivervale was tenth, only a few points away from eighth. This last game was their last hope of qualifying.

The team in eighth place was Hydra from Japan. Surprisingly. Hydra’s opponents for their last game was Long Sky, whereas Rivervale would face off against Team Kimchi from South Korea.

In one of the rooms within the Black Star Base No.1, the Rivervale members were called over by Frenzied Sword for a meeting, analyzing the situation.

Frenzied Sword knocked on the table with a serious tone. “Long Sky is ranked fourth whereas Kimchi is ranked sixth. Both are strong teams, and there is no possibility of getting an easy way out. If we want to fill the gap in points between us and Hydra, we need to cut a lot of points from Kimchi and have Hydra tie with Long Sky. Only then will we have a chance to qualify.”

“It’s too harsh! Hydra can be said to be evenly matched with Long Sky, but Kimchi is also a strong team. I’m not even sure if we can win.” Evil Sword shook his head.

“In addition to scoring a victory in the team battle, there is still a way to score a lot of points.” Frenzied Sword slowly spoke. “The duel battle allocates points based on the number of people who are inside, so if Evil and I go beyond our level and slaughter the other side, we’ll be able to rake in a lot of points.”

“It’s true that if we do well in the duel, we’ll be able to pull apart in terms of points lead,” Evil Sword replied, “but… Kimchi cannot be looked down on. Even Dynasty does not dare claim that they can wreck Kimchi totally.”

on.

“This match is our only chance. We must score more points at all costs! I’ve already taken out all the Ability Potions in the warehouse, and we have about sixty-seven potions left. If we cannot get into the finals, there’s no use in them. Thus, we’ll just finish all these potions in this final match and try to get as many points as we can.”

Everyone present felt their spirits being lifted up.

Evil Sword’s eyes glowed. “Leader, are you going to use Black Star’s Character Summon Card too?”

“That’s right. As long as we can enter the finals, we’ll have achieved our goal. There’s no need to wait any longer.” Frenzied Sword nodded in return.

“Then, we might just be able to pierce through Kimchi.” An expression of joy appeared in Evil Sword’s face.

Because there was enough inventory, Han Xiao did not use the Gene Extractor on himself, so the store did not have his Ability Potion. However, right before the Pro League, Frenzied Sword had completed a mission with a high rating and had drawn out a blank Character Summon Card through his random reward.

He had remembered that, during the First Pro League, he had utilized the Character Summon Card [Black Star’s Advent] to completely crush his opponent. Without hesitation, he immediately used his blank Character Summon Card to generate Han Xiao’s Character. This Character Summon Card became his ace in the hole.

At this sort of crucial match, Frenzied Sword decided that it was time to utilize the card.

In this final match, Rivervale had become the focal point for all China audiences. With Dynasty and Long Sky having qualified, if Rivervale could do the same, it would mean that for this year’s International Finals, there would be three teams from the China region. What a proud matter that would be!

In the team battles between Rivervale and Kimchi, the two sides duked it out. However, Kimchi made every effort they could to create a seamless defense, and only by using an Ability Potion did Rivervale finally clinch a miserable victory, obtaining a meagre score.

Many of the China viewers were quite discouraged. With only this paltry score, they practically lost the chance to overtake Hydra.

Not many of the viewers were optimistic about the duels, as only Frenzied Sword and Evil Sword would be battling, whereas the rest of the team would be on the sidelines. Just based off individual strengths, Kimchi had two people who had gotten into the finals for the Singles battle. While Rivervale could win, they probably did not have much chance of obtaining more points.

However, the moment the duels began, Frenzied Sword gave the audience a pleasant surprise while giving the Kimchi team a huge shock.

The moment Frenzied Sword stepped onto the stage, he activated tens of Ability Potions in one go, immediately adding a long list of Buff Statuses to his property panel. His entire body glowed, looking like a warrior of legends.

The commentators had their spirits refreshed. “Oh, it seemed like Frenzied Sword and company are getting desperate, and now the pressure is on team Kimchi!”

Every professional team had their own ace, and the Ability Potions that Han Xiao sold were the aces of most Chinese teams, which had left a huge impression in the Pro League. It gave the other teams tremendous headaches. Due to the randomness of the Ability Potion’s effects, they could not take any sort of measures against them.

However, the time effect for the Ability Potions was limited, and along with the numerous matches, every Chinese team was saving them; one used would be one less. After all, the finals would consist of five rounds, in which three wins were needed.

That being said, it seemed as though Frenzied Sword had thrown the situation of finals away, fighting as though his back was against a cliff. He unleashed a frightening combat capability, punching through two of the opponent’s players.

Team Kimchi knew that there was a time limit to the Ability Potions and only sent out their normal members, dragging the time out to grind down Frenzied Sword’s buffs.

“Team Kimchi has chosen the optimal delaying tactic. While Frenzied Sword has defeated two players, a majority of his Buffs have almost run out. Let’s take a look at the next player Kimchi is sending out… oh! They’ve sent out their ace! It seems like they wish to take the chance to end Frenzied Sword’s streak!”

The third pick from team Kimchi was their team’s ace, which was also one of the players who had entered the International Singles. At this point, Frenzied Sword only had a little more than half of his HP remaining, as well as a third of his Mechanical suit’s armor.

This situation was extremely unfavorable, and a majority of the Chinese players felt their hands slick with sweat as they began to panic.

At this point, Frenzied Sword took a deep breath before activating his only Black Star Character Summon Card.

A translucent figure of Han Xiao appeared behind Frenzied Sword, clad in black with an expressionless face. He had a hand placed on the head of Frenzied Sword.

“Alright, Frenzied Sword has activated yet another new ability. This is… wait a minute, did I see this scenario in the last Pro League?” As the commentator spoke, his eyes bulged open.

When the commentator finished describing the Buff, the spectators were all dumbfounded.

(Advanced Strengthened Life]: Taken from Character Summon Card-Han Xiao.

Increase Health based off the Endurance attribute at the ratio 1:60.

In addition, +25% Resistance, and for every 40% decrease in Health, +10% All Attributes temporarily.

Time limit: 20 minutes.

“F*ck me, this… this is cheating!” The commentator could not help but curse.

The countless viewers were also shocked silly.

The extra Health added was more than his original total Health!

A few of them realized that Frenzied Sword had also utilized Black Star’s Character Summon Card in the previous Pro League.

Black Star again!

Since this Buff came from the Character Summon Card, it meant that this was an ability belonging to Black Star himself. All this time, the Attributes of Black Star had remained a mystery to the players. The players only knew that Black Star was abnormally strong but did not know his specific capabilities.

But right now, Frenzied Sword’s buff revealed the tip of the iceberg of Black Star. However, just this tip was enough to shock the players into silence.

A Mechanic actually has a meat shield-like talentdoesn’t that mean his Mechanic abilities will be even more perverted!

Or is it that the Mechanic profession can actually awaken such a meat shield like talent?

With such a powerful endurance related ability, Frenzied Sword continued to battle on, steamrolling through another three players before being defeated. Evil Sword then burst out, taking down the final opponent with some difficulty.

The points for the duels were calculated based on the difference between the number of people lost on both sides. On Rivervale’s side, only Frenzied Sword had lost, reducing the total number of losses from Kimchi by one. That was the total number of points awarded to Rivervale, and they clinched an overwhelming victory.

Cutting through five with himself, making a name for himself!

Rivervale obtained a large number of points, and them going to the finals would depend on whether Hydra was able to obtain points from Long Sky.

Long Sky did not disappoint the public. They did not hold back at all, beating Hydra up thoroughly and only allowing them to obtain a scarce number of points. Because Hao Tian was close to Frenzied Sword, along with everyone being part of China, he was willing to help Frenzied Sword with this favor.

After the battle, Long Sky obtained overwhelming praise, with the tag of ‘Good Comrade of China’ plastered on them.

Under the gazes of tens of thousands of players, the results of the eight final teams were released!

Dynasty ranked first, Long Sky ranked fourth, and Rivervale managed to squeeze in and knocked Hydra out of the top eight by two points!

Frenzied Sword’s gamble had paid off!

Out of the four Chinese teams, three had made it into the finals. Only China had this sort of result, and the players from the region felt their blood boil as excitement filled their hearts.

Being able to qualify was a surprise, and squeezing out the Japanese team made it all the more gratifying. In this Pro League, none of the Japanese teams were able to get into the finals, and they made a hubbub of noise on the forums.

Han Xiao was also quite surprised by this result. He knew that the standard of the Chinese teams would be better than in the past, but he did not expect it to be so good!

To have three out of the eight slots for the finals, only America had achieved such a result in his previous life. This achievement was also only ever done once, but to think that China had achieved this in the second Pro League!

The players cheered on the forums, but no one foresaw that this was a milestone enough to be carved into the annals of Galaxy’s history!

Han Xiao knew that even after many years, even in the future Versions, there would still be people who would continue to talk about China’s brilliant achievements in this season.

In the finals, they were to fight based off their rankings. The first placed Dynasty would thus be pitted against the eighth placing Rivervale. The players felt this internal rivalry to be a pity, but this was how the rules of the competition went, and they had no way to change it.

“Frenzied Sword’s luck has come to an end. However, to be able to reach the finals is a result to be proud of. For a new battle team, that’s quite the accomplishment.” Han Xiao was quite satisfied. The Chinese teams had performed well, and this was a form of promotion for the Black Star Army.

As for Long Sky in fourth place, they faced Kimchi, who were fifth. The Chinese players did not wish to see an internal battle and thus turned their sights toward the fight with the Korean team.

However, Han Xiao was not interested in the finals. He merely threw a mark on Lagi, continuing to observe his performance.

Although Lagi had mentioned that he would take a detour, reality proved otherwise. He had rushed straight to the mission site and had already reached the place where the Sky Ring Mercenaries had requested assistance.

In the Fawn Star System, Planet Capelotti was ruled by the Vinstark Civilization, a planet level government under the Black Raven Civilization. The Vinstark race had feathered wings and looked like humans born with the ability to fly. The buildings on Planet Capelotti were tall and resembled trees. They had platforms outside the buildings like branches.

Vinstark was peaceful and laid back. They were satisfied with being ruled over by the Black Raven Civilization. Thus, they were frequently troubled by those with different views on this matter and extreme nationalists. Rebel organizations constantly appeared. There were many other examples similar to this across the entire universe.

A Sky Ring Army team had accepted a request to eliminate a rebel organization called ‘Bullseye’.

The leader of this team was (Ice Sorcerer] Goa, a Three-Ring Level officer, Grade B Super, who had once fought alongside Black Star on Floating Dragon. She had always worked near the Fawn Star System.

According to Vinstark’s data, the strongest person in Bullseye was a Grade B. This was originally just a usual combat mission. However, Goa did not expect that Bullseye would have hidden a Grade A. Plus, this Grade A was not someone that no one had heard about; he was a Vinstark who had been banished many years ago. His name was Getorald.

Now that he was at Calamity Grade, he wanted to come back and overthrow Vinstark’s rule. Not only was he the real boss of Bullseye, he was also the mastermind behind many other rebel organizations. He was basically behind all of Planet Capelotti rebels.

In a wasteland somewhere, a small aircraft was escaping quickly. Behind it were hundreds of aircrafts.

“Bullseye has found us again. We have been hiding and escaping for so long that we don’t have much fuel left. Captain, what should we do?”

In the cockpit, the survivors of the Sky Ring team were piloting the aircraft in panic.

“Keep running. I have requested reinforcements from the Black Star Army. They will definitely come. We have to hang on until they arrive.” Goa clenched her teeth. Her magic robe was covered in bloodstains and dust. After so many days of running, she was in a very bad state and extremely exhausted.

She had only fought with Getorald once and was absolutely crushed. She could not cross that enormous gap between Grade B and Grade A. If not for sheer lucky, her team would have been wiped out.

Their fuel quickly burned up. They started to decelerate, and the enemies were catching up. All the Sky Ring mercenaries were on edge, and Goa grabbed tightly onto her staff uncontrollably.

This time, a communication request suddenly popped up on the screen. Lagi’s despondent face appeared.

“Hello, the reinforcements you ordered have arrived. Anyone still alive? If not, I’ll be leaving.”

The people were overjoyed, and Goa quickly replied. “We’re still alive. We are currently in danger and require help urgently. The coordinates are…”

After she gave the coordinates, Lagi hung up the communication. They heaved sighs of relief and smiles appeared on their faces.

“Black Star’s reinforcements have finally arrived!”

“Great! We’re saved.”

Suddenly, Goa realized a problem. “Wait a minute, I told them that there’s a Calamity Grade among the enemies. Why was the person earlier not Black Star? Did he not come personally?”

Their expressions changed slightly. They all knew the Black Star Army quite well and were aware that only Black Star was a Calamity Grade. It seemed that they had not heard about the Black Star Army having another Grade A.

Goa could not help but worry-she only hoped that the reinforcements were reliable.

Suddenly, everyone’s hair stood on end. An enormous Shockwave Blast rocketed toward them and landed on their aircraft.

Boom!

The aircraft exploded into pieces. A spherical magic shield was blasted away, bouncing on the ground a few times before stopping. The magic shield disappeared, exposing Goa and the others in it. The staff in Goa’s hands was shining-she had protected all her team members at the last second. She was drained and gasping for air.

This time, hundreds of enemy aircraft caught up and surrounded them.

From the direction where the Shockwave Blast came from, a winged man flew there at high speed and stopped above them. His eagle-like eyes looked down on Goa and the others, sharp as a knife. This bird was indeed the Grade A Super of the rebel organization, Getorald.

“Humph, Sky Ring’s people. I hate mercenaries the most. Blame it on yourselves for sticking your nose in something that has nothing to do with you. You deserve to die.”

Getorald flapped his wings. A ball of dense, pale-gold Pugilist energy gathered on his hand. The strong sense of danger made Goa and the others freeze in fear.

Hu!

Just as Getorald was about to land the killing blow, a spaceship dashed through the clouds and descended from above. He turned around and looked at it.

The spaceship stopped outside the encirclement. The hatch opened, and Lagi slowly floated out. Seeing the danger that Goa and the others were in, his expression turned bitter.

“I’m early…”

Getorald frowned and asked, “Who are you?” Before Lagi could open his mouth, Goa replied, “You’re done for. He’s our backup, the Black Star Army’s … Er, what’s your name?”

Goa only just remembered that she did not even know his name.

Lagi sighed. “If you ask my name again, I’m going to leave.”

“Black Star’s man?” Getorald heard the conversation between the two of them, and his pupils uncontrollably constricted.

He was not afraid of the Sky Ring Army because Sky Ring’s headquarters were very far from there. However, the Gavin Star System was right beside the Fawn Star System. He feared the Black Star Army and realized that he was in a pickle.

Even Getorald had heard of Black Star. Black Star’s position in the Colton Star Cluster was way higher than his.

Alarmed, Getorald started to think of a solution. “The Black Star Army has interfered, so my plan can’t go on. I can only kill this Black Star mercenary before leaving the Colton Star Cluster to wait for things to settle. If I continue to stay here, the Black Star Army will send tons of troops to deal with me sooner or later. Luckily, only one member of the Black Star Army came this time. If I kill him and Sky Ring’s people, I will be able to conceal what happened here for a short time to give me time to escape.”

Getorald had made the decision. He loudly ordered, “Everyone fire! Kill these Sky Ring mercenaries!”

The faces of Goa and the others changed drastically as they hastily defended themselves. They were in an extremely bad state. As long as they were continuously fired upon, they would end up either dead or heavily injured.

The cannons of all the aircrafts lit up and were about to fire.

Getorald rushed toward Lagi, turning into a meteor covered in flames-he immediately used his full strength.

At this instant, Lagi sighed. A very old and simple staff appeared in his hands out of nowhere. Lagi then lightly tapped the air with it.

“Spacetime Secret Spell—the Seventh Dimension.”

Hum!

An invisible shield rapidly expanded and wrapped around everyone present. At this instant, every movement in the shield stopped as if the spacetime was frozen. The expression on everyone’s face was fixed.

However, everyone’s ability to think remained. They could clearly experience the feeling of being completely unable to move, but they could not control their bodies. Even Getorald was stationary in midair.

The Great Mechanic Han, who was spying, almost spat out the snacks in his mouth.

Isn’t this ZA WARUDO[1]?

The spacetime magic was the most difficult magic style to master. Plus, it was very dangerous. When spellcasters studied it, one slight moment of carelessness might cause them to die without even leaving a corpse behind. It required extremely high talent.

Not everyone could become the targets of Albert and those people. Lagi was not a member of any large organization-he was alone. Hence, there was only one reason that Lagi was a target.

His strength!

In this spacetime territory, Lagi was the only one that could move around freely. He cast spells continuously and destroyed all the aircrafts. This time, Getorald finally escaped the spell. Without saying a word, he turned around and fled.

His confidence was completely shattered by Lagi’s one spell. Lagi did not chase him. The mission was to rescue the Sky Ring mercenaries; he did not want to waste his energy chasing someone of the same grade. He floated toward Goa and the others, sighed, and said, “Get on my ship and let’s get out of here.”

Goa quickly nodded with respect. She could not help but ask, “Are you a new officer of the Black Star Army? I’ve never heard your name before.”

“It’s best to never hear it.” Lagi’s expression became more bitter.

The other Sky Ring mercenaries exchanged looks of shock. The Black Star Army finally had the first Calamity Grade officer, and he was so strong. Black Star did not have to carry everything on his shoulders anymore. They had a feeling that their Sky Ring Army was being surpassed by the Black Star Army.

Goa had a very complicated feeling. She still remembered a few years prior, when Black Star was just a small mercenary group. As a team captain of Sky Ring, their strength had been on par while she had the support of Sky Ring, so her position was higher than Black Star’s.

Now, however, she was still a team captain in Sky Ring, but Black Star had become someone very important in the Colton Star Cluster and rather famous even in the entire Shattered Star Ring. The difference in strength and position between the two of them had completely changed.

With Black Star as someone to compare herself to, Goa felt as if she had been standing in the same place throughout the years and felt discouraged.

At this time, on the other side of the Observer’s Mark, Han Xiao’s eyes were sparkling brightly. His fingers rubbed his stubble, and he could not help but smile.

“Looks like I’ve found a treasure…”

A few days later, the second season finally came to an end.

The eight teams in the finals had attracted the most attention from the start of the competition. All the fans were cheering and rooting for their teams.

In the first round, Dynasty defeated Rivervale, entering the semi-final, while Rivervale stopped at the top eight. This result was no surprise for almost everyone.

Long Sky defeated Kimchi 3:1, eliminating Kimchi and entering the semi-finals.

Two Chinese had entered the semi-finals, and the Chinese fans could not help but wish that the final would be between two Chinese teams.

Sadly, the results of the draw of the second round placed Dynasty against Long Sky and Devil against Tomahawk.

The Chinese players felt it was very unfortunate for Dynasty. After entering the finals, Dynasty had gone up against a Chinese team in both the first and the second round.

The second round was very intense. The peak was right ahead-neither Dynasty nor Long Sky would hold back. Many viewers were saddened by their bloody battles.

Before the match, many people thought that Dynasty had a higher chance of winning. However, the result was unexpected. Under Hao Tian’s lead, Long Sky showed extreme toughness and barely defeated Dynasty at 3:2, entering the finals.

Dynasty stopped at the top four and could only compete for second runner-up.

After the match, many reporters interviewed team Dynasty, and King Admiral had nothing to regret.

“We spent too much energy before the match. Hao Tian is my old rival. He really fought amazingly this time. I hope they can bring the championship trophy back for China. Brother, you won our match, so you’ve got to win this. Viewers, scold and swear at them as much as you can so that they don’t dare lose.”

A reporter with ulterior motives mentioned King Admiral’s words during the Regulars, wanting to give him a hard time. However, King Admiral did not mind it at all.

“I originally wanted to educate the teams of the other countries, but in the end, I was educated by my countrymen. Never mind, I lost to one of us anyway. Hao Tian, you’ve got to become the champions. At least using the excuse of us losing to the champions will not get me into so much trouble.”

All the reporters laughed, even the one that asked the question.

Very soon, it was Second Prince’s turn to be interviewed. His comments were the usual. “It’s absolutely the captain’s fault that we lost. This means that we need to have someone else as the captain. There’s no need to consider anyone else for that other than me. It’s time for King Admiral to retire. He’s already a middle-aged man-why the hell is he even still playing games?”

The interview of Dynasty was very joyful and slightly brushed off the remorse of the Chinese players. All the pressure and hope was on Long Sky.

Originally, Dynasty was the team that had the highest chance of becoming the champions. Now that Long Sky had defeated them, if they did not become the champions in the end…

However, not only was Hao Tian not panicking, his morale was very high instead.

Ever since the start of this competition, Dynasty had been the center of attention. He and Long Sky, however, had been quietly saving their energy like sharpening a sword.

In the finals, this sword unsheathed at last!

The passion and energy of everyone in Long Sky erupted all at once. They had the confidence to slash through everything before them!

Their opponents were the American team, Devil, who had defeated Sweden’s Tomahawk and entered the finals.

Devil was the second favorite of the competition right after Dynasty. They were the last obstacle between China and the world champion!

Tens of millions of players across the nine divisions were watching the final. This popularity had never been seen before.

Even Han Xiao put down what he had on his hands and watched the finals from the start to the end.

Watching the intense battle between the two teams, his emotions were fluctuating with the situation of the battle. For an instant, it was like he had returned to the younger times when he was cheering at the top of his lungs for the Chinese teams, only to end up disappointed.

In the end, the score was 3:2.

The last Devil player collapsed in the ring.

Devil had fallen.

Long Sky was still standing.

The final victory belonged to Long Sky, to China!

“World champions!”

The Chinese players were madly exhilarated.

Even in his room in Base No. 1, Han Xiao could hear the cheering outside his windows!

[1] This is a reference to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. “ZA WARUDO!” (also known as The World) is a phrase that is used by Dio when activating his power, which is time stopping.

The forums became a sea full of joy. The Chinese players were filled with excitement.

After Long Sky became the champions, Dynasty defeated Tomahawk and were placed third.

In the top eight teams, three of them were Chinese teams, one was the champion, and one was the second runner up. This astonishing achievement made many proud.

Long Sky received the most praising. Hao Tian had proven his skills and earned himself a ton of fans. The fame of his teammates, Sleepy Winter and Twinkle Fried Rice, grew enormously too. Even the Dynasty fans were happy for them from the bottom of their hearts.

Some thought that what had happened to Dynasty was regretful—if they did not face Rivervale and Long Sky consecutively, both the champion and the first runner-up teams might have been Chinese teams.

Due to the outstanding performances of the teams that they admired, countless players were praising how exciting this season was nonstop. After watching the entire season, they discovered one phenomenon.

During the finals, the Chinese teams did not lose even once to a team from another country!

Hence, some people found new words to praise their teams.

“The only ones that can beat us are ourselves!”

Han Xiao did watch the events after the match such as the award ceremony, the analytics of the season, and so on. Seeing that Long Sky were the winners, he had a rough guess about the future situation.

The Chinese teams had achieved extraordinary results in this season, and this would have a long-term effect. He knew his countrymen well. No matter what competition it was, as long as a fellow countryman was the champion, it would definitely pique their interest. Hence, there would be many new Chinese players in the next version, far more than in his previous life.

The Shattered Star Ring division, where the champions were from, was the headquarters of the various Chinese clubs. Therefore, many new Chinese players would choose to be born in the novice planets in the Shattered Star Ring. These freshies would become the new blood of the Black Star Army in the next version!

The current player count was far from the peak. The amazing results obtained by the Chinese teams would also affect Han Xiao very positively-good results meant more newcomers for the Black Star Army, which also meant that the quantity and quality of his leeks would be increased.

In this season, the Chinese teams had used various Black Star series mechanical devices. These were basically advertisements for the Black Star Army. Similar to how the American teams chose Planet Winterfrost to showcase the advantages of the Demon Race so that many players would feel that Demons were very strong, the Chinese teams’ performance made many feel that the Black Star Army was very strong. The machines used by the Chinese teams brought Han Xiao quite a lot of attention.

Season two of the Galaxy Pro League had ended, but its popularity lasted for a long time afterward. However, after most of the players had their fill of fun, they finally focused on other issues.

The end of the Pro League meant that Version 2.0 was about to end as well.

Speculation concerning the storyline of the next season became a hot topic on the forums once again.

In the Shattered Star Ring, Bun-Hit-Dog’s video was mentioned, the one that consisted of Han Xiao’s conversation with Frenzied Sword and the others. The video hinted that the next version would be related to the Crimson Dynasty and sparked a lot of discussion.

“What could the Crimson Dynasty’s goal in the Shattered Star Ring be?”

“Who knows? Anyway, in the next version, we will definitely be more involved in the fight between the organizations in the galaxy.”

“Maybe it’s the same as the start of Version 2.0, having to face a huge disaster as soon as we log in. I’m guessing that the Crimson Dynasty is the final boss.”

“I’m not really interested in the storyline. All I’m interested in is what will happen to our Black Star Army. After the last version update, Black Star became the faction that guided us into the universe. I wonder how the Black Star Army will change after this update.”

“I hope it won’t disappear. We farmed so many Contribution Points for so long. If the Black Star Army is gone, it will all have been for nothing.”

Due to past experiences, many players were curious about what the Black Star Army would become in Version 3.0.

The Chinese players basically looked at the Black Star Army as their main faction. Furthermore, it was one of the biggest reasons that the Chinese teams were able to achieve such results in the Pro League. Therefore, this issue received a lot of attention.

Han Xiao had been keeping an eye on the forums too, but even he could not give a clear answer to this question.

“The new version is about to arrive. This time, the gap is ten years…”

Han Xiao shook his head. Under the Crimson Tide, this would be a very tough ten years. Klent’s secret war and the third round of (Prey)… there would be all kinds of danger.

In his previous life, when Version 3.0 started, the secret war between Klent and Purple Crystal was at its climax. That was when the players came into play. This meant that the secret war might go on during the entire time before the version updates.

The Black Star Army would spend the next ten years in battles. There would be both risks and opportunities.

When the players returned after ten years, Han Xiao did not know what would have become of the Black Star Army.

There would be many alliances forming in the next version. They would be the hidden competitors in recruiting the players. In Version 3.0, the Black Star Army would no longer be the ‘guiding faction’. Han Xiao had been wondering how to make use of the next ten years to increase the attractiveness of the Black Star Army.

The current players had spent a lot of time and energy on the Black Star Army throughout the version, so they would not change factions easily. Keeping the old players was not an issue as long as Han Xiao operated the Black Star Army properly during the version update.

What he needed to go for was the new players in Version 3.0. Other than the effect brought by the Pro League, the Black Star Army had to have at least the same amount of resources as the other alliance factions.

The players’ achievements during Version 2.0 and the profit made from the players were the only assets that Han Xiao had to get through the following ten years.

The Pro League was the last opportunity to harvest leeks for Version 2.0. Near the end of the version, the players would bank their fortune and wait for the next version.

As soon as Version 3.0 arrived, the Black Star Army would rocket in terms of strength!

After all, the players in Version 3.0 would be able to level up to Grade B.

Millions of Grade C Supers and millions of Grade B Supers were completely different.

Beep beep!

This time, the communicator suddenly vibrated.

“You have a new message, hum…”

Han Xiao took out the communicator. It was a message from Ralph, telling him to go to the mother planet of the Purple Crystal Civilization. Section Zero had confirmed all the organization members and summoned the leader of all those organizations to officially announce the creation of Section Zero.

“This organization is formed at last.”

Han Xiao’s eyes gleamed.

The Blacklight Stealth stopped at the port of the Section Zero headquarters, which was on the Curved Blade garrison satellite orbiting the Purple Crystal Civilization mother planet. Han Xiao followed Dodder, the foreign affairs emissary, into the garrison satellite and came to the hall.

At this time, more than two hundred rather well-known people were gathered there. The moment that Han Xiao walked in, those people all turned and looked over with different expressions on their faces.

Before Section Zero was officially formed, most of the people there did not know who the other members were. Due to what had happened with Black Star a few months ago, many had guessed that Black Star had joined Section Zero, so not many of them were surprised.

“Not bad, Black Star is a reliable comrade.”

Many had the same thought in their mind and nodded at Han Xiao.

Han Xiao saw some familiar faces in the crowd, including chest hair monster Jayne and do-nothing Gadeli, who had once fought alongside him, and some organizations that had followed him to eliminate Albert’s gang.

Among them, the ones that had the biggest organizations were the Arc Light Organization leader from the Severide Star System, the Hero Group leader from the Skywalker Star System, and the New Phylen Rebels leader from the Rain Star System. Other than those, there were also many other organizations that were much bigger than Han Xiao’s. His Black Star Army was above average.

Ralph stood before the crowd. His face was serious, and his tone was formal.

“Everyone is here. As you all know, the purpose of Section Zero is to protect the Colton Star Cluster and guard against the Klent Kingdom’s invasion. The enemy you’re about to face is the Tyrant’s Bloodshed Land. Due to reasons that all of you know, we and Klent can’t use our official armies. The Colton Star Cluster’s safety is in your hands.

“You will all become important allies of one another, cooperate with each other, fight alongside each other, and guard against the Bloodshed Land’s invasion together.

“I hereby announce the official creation of Section Zero!”

This time, a notification popped up on Han Xiao’s interface.

New Faction (Section Zero] activated!

Favorability: 1,500/3,000

Current Relationship: Friendly

In the hall of Black Star Base No.1, many players had gathered.

It was the day of the version upgrade, and the update would start in less than two hours. Many players gathered in different bases before logging off. The players were now experienced with this and knew that the best choice was to wait in a stronghold in groups before the update. Base No.1 had the most players.

This was because Long Sky, Dynasty, and Rivervale had all decided to log off there. Many players had gone to look at those players.

After Hao Tian was done speaking to the passionate fans, he bade farewell to King Admiral and Frenzied Sword.

“I’m logging off.”

King Admiral smiled and said, “Little Hao, let’s have dinner in a few days. Call Fried Eggplants With Fish and the others too.”

“Sure.” Hao Tian nodded.

Li Ge heard and asked, “Hey, what about me?”

“If you’re that shameless, we welcome you to come without an invitation.” Second Prince curled his lips.

“It’s decided then, see you there,” Li Ge said in a serious tone.

Frenzied Sword was stunned. He remembered Li Ge to be very proud, what happened?

Compared to the Temple of Gods, which did not achieve any notable results in two consecutive seasons, Long Sky had finished top four and champions, while Dynasty was second and third. Therefore, Li Ge could not maintain the confidence to be proud anymore. He did not want the Temple of Gods to be forgotten, so he could only put away his pride and hang out with these people. That way, he could at least benefit from all the attention that they were receiving.

“By the way, Sword, bring your team over for the dinner too. It’s on me.” Hao Tian suddenly recalled his buddy Frenzied Sword.

Frenzied Sword was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. He had been dreaming of becoming a god tier player, and now, he finally felt that he was one foot into Hao Tian and the others’ circle.

Twinkle Fried Rice’s eyes sparkled. “Since so many people are coming, we might as well invite Thunder Storm, Fanatics, Nine Gates, and all those teams as well. We should all celebrate for a few days.”

Li Ge immediately supported this idea. All the teams gathering together would definitely be huge news. He would benefit from it, too.

Hao Tian thought about it and said, “Okay. Anyway, we did not celebrate enough after winning the championship. Let’s enjoy ourselves during the holidays.”

They chatted for a while happily and logged off one after another. The players around also turned into white lights and disappeared.

Very soon, the hall became empty.

At the same time, Han Xiao, who was on rushing back, saw a notification on his interface.

Version 2.0 Update Activated!

Saving data… Save complete!

Player forums closed.

Update Duration: Unknown. Please wait patiently.

“And so it begins…”

Inside the Blacklight Stealth cockpit, Han Xiao had a melancholic expression on his face.

Ten years…

A spaceship left the desolate region, and the countless stars ahead were reflected on the porthole.

Stephanie looked at the bright stars ahead and smiled.

“We’re finally here, the Shattered Star Ring.”

“With all the players disappearing, the size of the Black Star Army will be reduced considerably, and there is a need to make new plans.”

Han Xiao began to carefully think about how he should resolve this matter.

He was still less than thirty years old, and when Version 3.0 was released, he would be almost forty.

Han Xiao did not worry about his age. He was a Grade A Super, after all, and had injected himself with longevity medicine before. Living two to three hundred years should not be an issue at all. In ten years, his appearance would still be the same, young and suave.

Han Xiao already had a brief outline for the development of the Black Star Army over the next ten years.

“My main focus should be to accumulate strength. Without the players to bring me a long stream of benefits, the main focus of these ten years should be to convert all the benefits that the player’s brought me in Version 2.0.”

His assets from Version 2.0 included the twenty-three bases in the Garton Star System, almost two thousand battleships and over seventeen million Enaus in savings. Furthermore, the numerous employment missions that the players had completed had also greatly increased the fame of the Black Star Army.

NPC mercenaries were different from players. Every death meant that he would have one fewer mercenary. While hiring freelance mercenaries was a solution, grooming fresh blood for his Black Star Army was more important. Han Xiao decided to increase the investment in the training camps so that he could ensure a constant flow of new mercenaries and also reduce his costs.

Apart from the mercenaries at the bottom rung, Han Xiao also needed to groom the officers at the top. With the current level of the Black Star Army, Grade B Supers were no longer rare and could only be considered the middle rung. They truly lacked Grade A Supers at the very top. Currently, the only two Grade A Supers were Han Xiao and Lagi.

“Hmm, I need to try and recruit new Grade A Supers while grooming those with potential such as Herlous, Feidin, and Reynold. I wonder how many Grade A Supers I will be able to groom over the next ten years.”

Han Xiao stroked his chin. In his previous life, Sylvia had already been a Grade A Super in Version 3.0. These ten years should be Sylvia’s growth spurt, and Han Xiao needed to stimulate her growth further so that she could transform from a capable female secretary into a competent helper.

However, accumulating their strength did not mean that they would have to remain low profile. The secret war started by Klent would be the largest conflict on the outside, and there would be opportunities hidden within risks. Han Xiao would naturally participate in the war.

In order to obtain Cutting-Edge Knowledge, Han Xiao had joined Section Zero to farm favorability points with Purple Crystal. This was one of the most secure paths. Cutting-Edge Knowledge was something that he could not lack. Even if it was not a Class Advancement requirement, Han Xiao would still want to obtain it.

At the same time, he was killing two birds with one stone. As long as he could render huge merits in the secret war, he would have the right to become a long-term partner of a Star Cluster civilization like the Bloodshed Land. This would then be the stimulus to restructure the Black Star Army and allow the Black Star Army to take another step forward in the Colton Star Cluster.

With the accumulation of resources from Version 2.0 and the support that Purple Crystal gave to Section Zero, Han Xiao would be able to accumulate his strength. If he wanted to receive more resources from Purple Crystal, he would have to achieve a higher status in Section Zero and render large merits.

All the first-rate organizations such as Arc Light, Hero Group, and New Phylen were both his reliable allies and his competitors. They were extremely large organizations that received greater support and resources. If Han Xiao wanted to receive more resources, he would have to prove his superiority.

“Currently, both parties have not begun to fight, and there is still some time to prepare before the war. Apart from the development of the organization, my own strength will also have to take another step forward. The amount of experience that I have accumulated should be enough to bring me up to level two hundred.”

The strength of his organization was only an external force; his own personal strength was the most important.

Ten years was enough for Han Xiao to convert all of his experience points into combat strength. As for whether or not he would be able to reach beyond Grade A, Han Xiao was not too sure either. He did not know the level requirement for beyond Grade A.

If he used the gap between Grade B and Grade A as a reference as well as the increase in his strength as he leveled up, Han Xiao estimated that he would need to be at least level 240 before reaching beyond Grade A.

The accumulated experience might not be able to take him to beyond Grade A, but Grade A+ was definite.

As long as he could find a few more powerful skills and talent, he should be able to defeat the majority of Grade A Supers.

“I am currently at level 170, and the Class Advancement Mission is delaying me. If I want to obtain Cutting-Edge Knowledge to complete my Class Advancement, I need to farm 6,000 favorability points with Purple Crystal and improve my relationship with Purple Crystal to ‘Reverence’.”

After deciding on the general direction to take, Han Xiao returned to his base and began issuing orders.

First, he shrank back the range of operations. Without the presence of the players, the efficiency of the Black Star Army would be greatly reduced.

At the same time, Han Xiao took out a large amount of funds to purchase raw materials and spare parts. He got the various military factories to construct small sized spaceships. The logistics department under Reynold’s lead was no longer the same as before, and its scale was many times greater. They could already construct their own spaceships. Although they were only capable of building small assault spaceships, the Black Star Army was still able to save a great deal of money. This was one of the preparations before war erupted.

Another sum of money was used to hire even more combatants. Currently, the Black Star Army had more than 100,000 registered mercenaries, and Han Xiao was prepared to increase this number by four to five times. Money was not an issue at all.

The other Black Star mercenaries had also noticed the disappearance of the players and were extremely puzzled by the matter. However, Han Xiao did not bother explaining anything to them. Even if they had a thousand different guesses, it would not be able to change the present situation.

While a portion of the upper echelons who knew about the Inhumans were surprised, they were not too shocked. They were only worried about the Black Star Army after the disappearance of the Inhumans.

For this, Han Xiao had specially summoned all his high ranked officers.

In the room, all the officers of the Black Star Army streamed in.

Han Xiao got straight to the point without beating about the bush. “The Inhumans have disappeared again, and we don’t know when they will appear again. This isn’t the first time that this has happened, and the Klent invasion may happen in the near future. We will be accepting the Purple Crystal’s employment in the future and will participate in the war as a member of Section Zero. We need to make our preparations.”

Everyone nodded with different looks on their faces.

“Lagi, you are the only other Calamity Grade Super apart from me. If the situation on the battlefield gets intense, we may need you to lead a force on your own,” Han Xiao said.

“Sigh, war again. I have a premonition that I will be sacrificed this time,” Lagi said with a bitter expression.

Han Xiao’s mouth contorted slightly.

Right at that moment, Reynold suddenly interrupted.

“Your Excellency Black Star, he isn’t the only Calamity Grade.”

As everyone heard that, they all turned to look at Reynold.

Han Xiao’s eyes lit up and asked, “Could it be that you…”

Reynold nodded, and a rare smile could be seen on his face, “Just a few days ago, I successfully stepped into the Calamity Grade, and I am now a Grade A Super. This is all thanks to your tutelage.”

Han Xiao was overjoyed. With Reynold’s stepping into Grade A, his Black Star Army would have a total of three Grade A Supers. This meant that the Black Star Army exceeded most Section Zero members.

This was truly good news!

Reynold had come under his wing a few years ago, and after learning for such a long time, he had finally advanced into the next grade. While Han Xiao was surprised, he was not too shocked. He had known that with Reynold’s talent, it was only a matter of time before Reynold entered the Calamity Grade.

However, it was truly timely for Reynold to step into the Calamity Grade right before war broke out.

By the side, Herlous could not help but be slightly disappointed.

He was the first to follow Han Xiao, but his status was now being taken over by newcomers. However, it could not be helped since his strength was not sufficient. Becoming a Grade A Super was not something that would happen overnight, and he had not touched the door frame of Grade A yet.

After the Sunil incident, Herlous had sworn to follow Han Xiao for life and was frustrated that he could not provide more help to Han Xiao.

Everyone’s reaction was different. The Volga brothers were as carefree as ever, Feidin smiled without saying a word, Sylvia clenched her fists and swore to work harder, and Aroshia was daydreaming by the side.

Han Xiao’s gaze landed on Aroshia. The (Reboot) mission was currently in the second phase. He had managed to find most of her memory fragments through the players, and only a final location was lacking before the mission could be completed.

It was just that the final location was too deserted, so Han Xiao had not taken her to complete the second phase of the mission. He was not too eager to complete this mission because Risda had already revealed some information, suggesting that the final target of the (Reboot) mission would be to deal with Manison from the Mechanic Empire. Since Han Xiao knew that he would not be able to complete the mission any time soon, he was not in a rush.

He did not want to provoke a beyond Grade A Super for nothing with the other party being a member of the Ancient Ones.

Not just the Black Star Army, all the members of Section Zero were also preparing for war and hiring new members.

Ten days later, a piece of news shook the entire Shattered Star Ring.

Bloodshed Land had invaded the Colton Star Cluster with their army!

This meant that the secret war between Klent and Purple Crystal had finally erupted!

This was like a spark that caused the Crimson Tide to explode!

The conflict between the seen Star Cluster Civilizations escalated to the point they broke out in war. Many large organizations and secret groups within the Star Field also began fighting each other. The Shattered Star Ring was thrown into chaos with many factions being formed.

The most dangerous period had finally arrived!

All members of Section Zero received a notice from Purple Crystal that requested them to arrive at the battlefield.

When Han Xiao received the notice, a notification also popped up on his interface.

You have triggered Grade S faction mission (Secret War: Section Zero]!

Mission Introduction: The Klent Kingdom has invaded the Purple Crystal Civilization, and you have chosen to stand on the side of the Purple Crystal Civilization.

Mission Requirements: As a member of Section Zero, listen to orders and force all invaders out of the Colton Star Cluster.

At the end of the mission, your reward will be based on the rating of the mission.

Note: As a strategic mission, there are three ways to improve your rating.

Complete the strategic objective of the mission.

Kill or capture the troops of the opposing faction.

Complete the mission successfully.

This is one of the Main Storyline missions of Version 3.0. I have triggered this mission during the version upgrade period.

Han Xiao had already predicted that this would happen.

This was a Grade S Main Storyline Mission, and players could choose between Klent and Purple Crystal. He had already joined Section Zero, which was akin to choosing Purple Crystal.

In his previous life, Version 3.0 had been released when the secret war was at its peak. The players had only returned at that moment to choose which faction to join.

This Grade S mission had a pretty simple introduction on both sides. Regardless of the faction that won the war, the players on both sides would still be able to receive rewards from the mission. The only difference would be the rating received for the mission.

After a series of experiments by the players, there were a few ways to cause a fall in mission rating. First, disobey the orders of their faction. Second, betray the faction. Third, lose the war before the Universal Civilization intervened.

I triggered this mission at the start of the war, a full ten years ahead of time… Han Xiao frowned.

This meant that this mission would definitely take a long time to complete, and the secret war would last throughout the ten years of the version upgrading period.

On the other hand, it also meant that he would have more time to farm his mission rating.

I am afraid that the next ten years shall be spent in war. After resting for two to three years, I think that I have rested enough.

This would be completely different from the few short-term employment missions. This was a long-term war.

Han Xiao stood up and walked out of the room.

“Phillip, summon everyone to go with me to war.”

The Seoul Star Cluster, which was controlled by Klent, was separated from the Colton Star Cluster by a barren cosmic belt. After the war between the Star Clusters broke out, the stargates to both Star Clusters were temporarily shut, and troops could only cross the border illegally through the barren cosmic belt.

A large fleet of troops passed through the barren cosmic belt and entered the borders of Colton, the West Wind Star System.

This was a vanguard force with the intention of probing the enemy. There were fifteen Expedition Level flagships, thousands of frigates and assault battleships, and a total of over ten thousand spaceships.

There were twenty-six Calamity Grade Supers, including Tyrant’s Eight Vanguard Official.

The commander of the expedition fleet was Jorde, the individual in charge of Bloodshed Land’s Military Strategy Department. He was a Grade A Super and one of Tyrant’s old subordinates.

“According to the intelligence, Purple Crystal has mobilized their forces to intercept our vanguard forces. Your first mission is to occupy a planet without inhabitants and make use of the Crimson Dynasty’s Fortress Expansion Package to construct a base.

“This is a secret war that a civilization cannot openly participate in. The West Wind Star System Civilization will not dare stop you from constructing a base on a planet without inhabitants.”

Right at this moment, the Military Strategy Department was holding a remote meeting, and the commanders of the various fleets, as well as seven Vanguard Officials, were listening to Jorde’s instructions.

Only the chief Vanguard Official was not present, but no one found it strange at all. With the Military Strategy Department taking up the role of command, the Vanguard Officials only needed to listen to orders and fight. The status of the chief Vanguard Official was special, and others revered his strength. Compared to being part of a meeting, he was more willing to spend his time in his cultivation chamber. He had the privilege to do so.

Jorde briefly went through the strategy before saying, “Not all the Star Systems within the Colton Star Cluster have submitted to the Purple Crystal Civilization. A portion of the Star Systems aren’t concerned about who rules over the Star Cluster and will choose to remain neutral. They will not obstruct us in anyway. Unless necessary, do not start a conflict with the local civilizations. Let them understand Klent’s intentions and try to befriend them…”

With the restriction of the peace treaty, all the Star Cluster Civilizations had a protective talisman. Furthermore, Klent’s objective wasn’t to destroy Purple Crystal. Klent only wanted to expand their territory and snatch a few Star Systems from the Colton Star Cluster. They wanted to make use of the Bloodshed Land as their proxy and contain the war between both parties at the level of a secret war.

As long as Bloodshed Land could gain a foothold in a few Star Systems, Klent would be able to spread their influence through Bloodshed Land and weaken Purple Crystal’s control over the region. They would then be able to completely block out Purple Crystal’s control over the region.

Their objective would not be in conflict with the various Star System Civilizations. Bloodshed Land would not take over the control of those Star Systems and would even build diplomatic ties with them. The only party suffering a loss would be Purple Crystal.

Using an analogy, it was like two gangs fighting over collecting protection fees.

Since they wanted to snatch territory, there would only be a future if they could protect it. Bloodshed Land’s invasion was not the same as that of DarkStar, harassing different locations without claiming any territory. This also meant that the following war would be extremely intense and last for a long time.

The target of this vanguard force was to establish a bridgehead in the West Wind Star System and test the strength of the Purple Crystal Civilization’s retaliation.

Everyone nodded in response. They had already been briefed thoroughly on the mission and were hearing it from Jorde again.

The second Vanguard Official, Hunting Blade, growled in a deep voice, “Section Zero has many members with at least a hundred Calamity Grade Supers. This time, our vanguard force has less than thirty Calamity Grade Supers. Even if the Vanguard Officials can fight three, I can fight five, and chief can fight ten, we will still be on the losing end. The main force had better catch up soon.”

Jorde nodded in response. “Purple Crystal won’t be able to mobilize such a large force within a short period of time. Furthermore, the first exchange is only a probing one, so the opponent won’t send too many troops. The other vanguard forces invading the other Star Systems will help tie down Purple Crystal’s forces.”

The West Wind Star System was only one of Bloodshed Land’s targets. Bloodshed Land had the ability and resources to stretch out the battle lines.

As a condition for Bloodshed Land participating in the secret war, Klent had helped Bloodshed Land rope in almost half of the armed organizations within their Star Cluster. Bloodshed Land had already expanded to a whole new level, and they were definitely capable of taking out a hundred Calamity Grade Supers.

Right at that moment, a holographic projection suddenly entered the meeting.

Everyone looked over, and the seven Vanguard Officials bowed.

“Chief. 11

He had dark red skin with a square jaw and sharp gaze. His aura was extremely tyrannical with thin dragon scales around his eyes, lips, and temples. He looked like he had a mixed dragon bloodline, but the species of the dragon could not be seen from his appearance. He was wearing a set of heavy armor, but his burly figure could not be covered, and he was at least a head taller than Malekith.

Fosters-Slott was the chief Vanguard Official under the Tyrant and had the nicknames of ‘War Dragon’ and ‘the Tyrant’s Left-Hand Man’. He was a capable assistant of the Tyrant.

“Do you have anything to add?” Jorde asked with doubt.

Fosters remained expressionless, and he replied with a baleful aura, “I don’t care about the others, but Black Star must be mine.”

His aura was tyrannical, and the shadow of Heber could be seen in him.

Bloodshed Land had long known that Han Xiao was in Purple Crystal’s camp. Black Star was an important officer of Floating Dragon, and both their factions were in conflict. There were many individuals in Bloodshed Land looking forward to fighting Black Star.

Among them, Fosters’ killing intent was the greatest.

During the Tyrant’s gathering, Han Xiao had trashed Carroll and caused the Tyrant to lose face. Heber would not bother about such a matter, but Fosters worshiped the Tyrant to the point he would never allow anyone to ruin his reputation.

Heber would not pursue the matter, but Fosters would not let the matter rest. Black Star had already entered his kill list, and this secret war would be the best chance.

Of course, the big picture was the most important, and Fosters would not defy orders just because of Black Star.

“As long as I meet Black Star, he will definitely die on the spot!” Fosters said with a resolute tone.

To dare fight in the main camp of Bloodshed Land and beat one of our officers, you are seeking death!

[Magus) Austin was floating within the palace of Hidden Red Robe Abbey and teaching a group of Forbidden Sorcerers theories of magic.

Despite the Star Field being thrown into chaos, his life was still extremely carefree. Since he chose to remain neutral, no one would come and bother him.

After lecturing for a while, Austin suddenly paused and felt his heart skip a beat. He then turned around and looked at the sky outside the palace as though his gaze could see through the boundless galaxy.

Right at that instant, Austin was distracted for a moment, and the image of the Colton Star Cluster and Black Star appeared in his mind.

For a Mage like him who had grasped a secret technique, premonitions would appear in his mind from time to time.

“Colton… Hmm, Klent and Purple Crystal have begun to fight. However, since this matter has nothing to do with me, why would I receive a premonition?” Austin muttered under his breath.

He was uninterested in the secret war between the two Star Cluster Civilizations. The way he saw it, both parties were only trying to snatch territories and weaken the private armed organizations within their own territory. Even if both Klent and Purple Crystal were enemies, they should have a tacit understanding regarding this matter.

Thus, Austin was not willing to work with either of the Star Clusters.

“My premonition should have nothing to do with my war. If that’s the case, the reason should be because of Black Star…”

Austin chanted an incantation for a moment and unleashed his mysterious secret technique. After performing a short divination, Austin broke out with a smile of enlightenment.

“I see. It turns out he has my Forbidden Sorcerer under him…”

After thinking for a while, Austin raised his finger and pointed at a few Forbidden Sorcerers present.

“You lot, bring him back. If Black Star stops you, say that it is my intention. He will show me some face.”

The few Forbidden Sorcerers who were called upon nodded and walked out of the palace.

Han Xiao gathered all his forces and responded to Section Zero’s emergency mobilization. He arrived at the West Wind Star System and met up with the main force of Section Zero.

He brought three hundred modified battleships, Lagi, Herlous, Aroshia, and over ten more Grade B officers. Reynold was in charge of guarding the base, and Sylvia, who was too weak, did not follow them.

He was only participating in the war to farm faction Contribution Points to accumulate his strength. He would not sell his life loyally and sacrifice all the forces that he had spent a great amount of effort to accumulate.

He would just do what he could.

The other members of Section Zero also thought the same. None of them would mobilize all their forces. All of them had their own selfish thoughts, and this was the biggest flaw of an allied organization.

On the contrary, Bloodshed Land did not face such a problem as Heber controlled all the troops.

“This is the benefit of having a beyond Grade A Super.” Han Xiao sighed.

A large force was already gathered at the gathering point with almost ten thousand battleships. The Arc Light Organization sent out eight hundred battleships, the most among all the organizations present.

As the leader of the Black Star Army, Han Xiao was also invited to join the conference before the war.

The commander was a member of Purple Crystal. Purple Crystal also knew the cons of having such an allied force and thus sent out a member to command the forces.

In the meeting, Han Xiao understood the situation that they were facing.

Bloodshed Land’s vanguard forces had established a bridgehead on an uninhabited planet and set up various defensive measures. The objective of their expedition was to launch a probing attack and attempt to destroy the base of the vanguard force.

Every organization had their own responsibility, and Han Xiao also received his own mission.

(Local Campaign: Pin Down the Enemy Wing]

Mission Introduction: This is the order given to you by your faction. Complete it.

Mission Requirements: Pin down or destroy the battleships of the enemy’s wing.

Note: After the battle is over, reward will be given based on the level of completion.

This is a small mission that was a part of the Grade S Main Storyline Mission. In the different battles of the secret war, an elementary objective would first be given such as pinning down the enemy wing in this current mission. During the battle, the mission objective would then change according to the situation on the battlefield, and a new mission would be given.

A war could not be fought by an individual, and the most basic requirement was for him to complete his own mission. As long as he stuck closely to the strategic objectives assigned, a high completion rate would be achieved even if the battle was lost. Farming for faction Contribution Points relied mainly on such tactical missions.

Completing such tactical missions would also increase the mission rating of the Grade S Main Storyline Mission (Secret War: Section Zero).

Han Xiao had only brought three hundred battleships and was not suitable to attack the enemy head on. Thus, he had been assigned to cover the wing. He was not the only party assigned to this mission, and there were a couple others who had the same mission.

After the meeting, Han Xiao walked out of the camp, and someone called out from behind.

The one who had called out for him was Sevitt, a Grade A officer of the Arc Light Organization, the commander of their expedition force.

Sevitt sped up his footsteps and said with a respectful tone, “Black Star, I have something to ask of you.”

Han Xiao had the backing of Floating Dragon, and everyone was courteous to him. The majority of them were individuals who had been through many things and would not earn another enemy for themselves for no good reason.

“Go on.” Han Xiao only nodded.

“I know that you are a powerful Virtual Mechanic. When you are pinning down the wing of the enemy, I hope that you can interfere to deal with the main force of Bloodshed Land using Virtual Intrusion to reduce our pressure,” Sevitt said in an earnest tone.

The Arc Light Organization was in charge of the frontal assault. Sevitt had heard of Han Xiao’s abilities and thus went over to request some help.

“This isn’t a problem. I will help you if the pressure isn’t too great on my side.” Han Xiao patted Sevitt on the shoulder.

“Alright. Thanks.” Sevitt’s eyes lit up.

After both of them parted, Han Xiao returned to his own base and gathered his men to give instructions.

A large-scale war like this was extremely dangerous, and no one would be able to ensure that they could survive. Thus, he got all his subordinates to pay attention to their own safety.

One day later, Section Zero set off for Bloodshed Land’s vanguard force.

The fleet of the Black Star Army was mixed within the combined armed forces, marching forward vigorously. From outside, one could only see the light streaks as a result of the hyperdrive jump, resembling a meteor shower.

“The frontal force is to attack and open up the defensive formations in outer space. Attack the enemy base from space, providing firepower to cover for the other formations. As for us, we will be responsible for flanking, restraining the enemy from their reinforcements.”

Within the cockpit, Han Xiao was communicating to the other fleet commanders.

The command structure of the Black Star Army had already been fixed. Out of the three hundred battleships they had, they were divided into multiple fleets, with an Officer in charge of each fleet. This would allow for more flexible tactical adjustments.

“Lagi, I’ll pass the mission of charging forward to you. In addition, we have several allies who are sending out Calamity Grade Supers alongside you. Your mission is to kill as many in the opposing fleet as possible. Of course, the priority is to first guarantee your safety.”

Han Xiao’s tone was stern. During an interstellar war, the Calamity Grades would mainly work to behead the commander of the opposing fleet, usually by assassination. However, they could also enter the main battlefield. Their strong individual fighting capability meant that there would be high flexibility. If there were no other Calamity Grades from the enemy side to restrict them, the Calamity Grade would be able to cause great damage to the fleet, even having the opportunity to influence the situation of a battlefield.

For example, Shana’s ability would be a great weapon in such interstellar conditions.

On an interstellar battlefield, Grade A Supers had always been the source of headaches for fleet commanders. This was because their uncertainty was too great, making them hard to handle. A Calamity Grade protected by their fleet was undoubtedly even more dangerous.

However, it was still a dangerous matter for a Calamity Grade to go head on against a fleet. If one was careless, they would be hit by tens of hundreds of warship cannons, and their life would likely be forfeit. However, Han Xiao was reassured by Lagihe knew how to protect himself, so there should not be a problem.

“Sigh.” Lagi only sighed, not speaking out.

Dong dong!

The spaceships trembled slightly and exited hyperdrive. Han Xiao’s brows furrowed, and he immediately activated the radar. A red area was marked out in front of them on the radar.

“We’re here. In front of us should be the stronghold for the vanguard force of Bloodshed Land.”

Han Xiao took a deep breath.

A period of two or three years had passed, but they had still come to war with Bloodshed Land.

In the communication channel, many of the commanders practically held their breath at this sight.

It was not surprising that the members of Section Zero were nervous. The fame of people inevitably cast shadows, and Bloodshed Land had a large reputation, so no one dared look down on this tyrant.

Through the long-range vision, Han Xiao discovered that the Bloodshed Land’s fleets had assembled outside, grouping into several formations, each with a flagship as the core.

“Warning, warning, high-energy response detected. Please take precautions, hum!”

At this moment, Han Xiao received the warning from Phillip. Shouting to the others, his fleet dove to evade.

The next moment, Bloodshed Land’s fleet suddenly lit up with countless light spots. This was followed by countless beams of high energy particle cannons shooting toward the combined forces. They grazed the shields of the various spaceships before disappearing into the distance. A few of the spaceships that did not have time to escape were hit, their shields flickering intermittently.

“How decisive, firing the moment we meet.” Han Xiao’s eyes flashed.

Ding.

At this point, Phillip spoke up. “The tactical instructions have been accepted. Do you wish to execute it immediately?”

Within the virtual screen, the formations of both fleets had turned into 3D shapes. The situation was clear at a glance. The tactical movements of his own fleet were marked, with the division of labor clear. Within Han Xiao’s troops, each one also had their own tactical targets, and the enemy fleet to be contained had been marked in red. This was their mission. At the top left of his screen were various parameters as well as the timings to meet.

The rear commander would adjust the tactics and reissue new instructions any time according to how the situation developed. This method of command allowed each team to perform its duties without confusion.

Glancing at the tactical board, Han Xiao found it to be acceptable and nodded.

“Execute it immediately!”

The Black Star Army fleet followed the rest of the fleet to move with the troops. After circling once, they dove straight into the fray, heading toward their own targets.

At the same time, the entire Section Zero fleet also moved. They spread out and attacked the planetary stronghold in the battlefield from all directions.

Because the alliance fleet was originally in a state of disunity, in order to prevent any infighting, the commander had organized the alliance fleet into more than ten different squadrons. Han Xiao’s fleet belonged to Team Seven, whose main purpose was to restrain and restrict.

The flames of war broke out!

The combined forces of Section Zero approached the planet’s fortress from various routes, while the particle cannons of both sides opposed each other. The spaceships navigated their way through the dense net of particle rays, and fireworks bombarded the area from time to time. As the combined forces attacked from multiple fronts, the formation of Bloodshed Land also changed to protect every position instead.

When both sides warred against each other, they opened fire at full blast. Team Seven charged bravely against the fire, and the pressure they faced increased sharply the closer they got.

Boom boom boom!

The vanguard troops of Bloodshed Land had transformed their fortress planet using the foundations of the Crimson Dynasty. The ground had a large base, and anti-aircraft guns fired physical missiles that could hit even spaceships in outer space. The firepower within them was fierce, and they almost hit Han Xiao’s fleet more than once.

“A large-scale battlefield is really dangerous.”

Han Xiao had long switched over to manual piloting, placing his full concentration on this matter. He performed thrilling aerial moves one after another to avoid any the tens of cannons fired toward them.

With such a large-scale battlefield, he did not dare act too casually. He followed the actions of the main troops, avoiding the various attacks by constantly fluttering up and down like a butterfly.

Looking at the tactical screen, he found out that the assault troops had already begun to clash in close combat with those from Bloodshed Land. Looking out of the window, he saw that the entire outer space area had turned into a fierce battlefield, with the inky black color of the universe as well as the edge of the fortress planet as a backdrop. Both sides were heavily engaged with each other, and all sorts of lights from the weapons dazzled one’s eyes.

The battlefield was too vast. Even casting one’s eyes out into the horizon would not allow them to see the entire situation. They could only understand the whole battle through the feedback from the tactical screen. At present, both sides had just confronted each other and were evenly matched.

The allied forces offensive had restrained the enemy’s firepower, indirectly helping Han Xiao’s Team Seven approach the enemy and find their restraining targets.

Han Xiao’s current position quickly turned into a small-scale battlefield.

The moment they fought, Han Xiao felt tremendous pressure.

This fleet, with an expedition-class battleship as its core, seemed to be about to go support the frontal battlefield. Team Seven restrained and harassed them continuously and were immediately violently counterattacked.

Team Seven had about a thousand battleships, of which three hundred were Han Xiao’s. The death toll was increasing rapidly.

“Not good!” Han Xiao gritted his teeth.

While the Purple Crystal Civilization had mentioned that there would be compensation, Han Xiao could not bear to see the battleships exploding one after another. They were his assets that he had spent much time accumulating.

He activated the Virtual Intrusion skill but immediately encountered resistance. The fleet opposing them had also deployed Virtual Mechanics to protect their fleet. In addition, they also planned to invade the Alliance fleet’s spaceships.

Left without a choice, Han Xiao could only tussle with the Virtual Mechanics from the enemy side, attacking and defending. Both sides started a tug-of-war.

At the same time, within the command room of the fortress planet, two Grade A Virtual Mechanics were intercepted by Han Xiao on the virtual level, and their looks changed.

“The enemy’s Virtual Mechanic has also appeared!”

“Sh*t, this guy’s Virtual Technology is really strong. The infiltration speed is too fast!”

“Luckily, we still can keep the internal firewall. Did you manage to trace the source?”

“Yeah, I’ve locked down on his position.”

“I see it, eh, turns out its Black Star. No wonder, he’s so strong!”

“Cooperate with me. Fight and seize his spaceship!”

The cooperation of the two was tacit. They immediately locked onto Han Xiao, infiltrating his Blacklight Stealth.

Within the Virtual Plane, the torrent of data manipulated by the duo found the artificial intelligence core of the Blacklight Stealth. Just as they were about to launch an attack, a glowing figure materialized. It was Risda.

Looking at the two torrents of data surging toward him, Risda merely raised a hand, scattering the offensive of both men. The data torrents turned into tiny sparkles of light, becoming redundant pieces of data, and were quickly shattered.

The moment the duo saw this, their hearts chilled.

“This Artificial intelligence is too high level. There’s no way to break through it.”

“Dammit, now we can’t shake him off.”

Both sides had undergone a round of confrontation, with Han Xiao gaining a slight advantage. However, his expression remained grave.

He had long expected the Bloodshed Land to employ Virtual Mechanics, as there was no way they would leave out such an obvious shortcoming. However, the enemy had actually sent two Grade A Virtual Mechanics, which gave Han Xiao some pressure. If he was not present, the opponent would have been free to do whatever they wished.

At this point, both sides were restraining each other. Although he could not utilize Virtual Intrusion to hack into the other party, it was the same for them.

The two sides finally met each other in close combat, and a furious battle erupted. Team Seven and the enemy fleet both used their charge cabins, allowing their respective Supers to land on the enemy’s spaceships.

Han Xiao pulled up a surveillance video. Any battleship on his side that got boarded would face a one-sided slaughter, as the elite Thousand Beast Soldier troops from the Bloodshed Land were extremely strong.

“My spaceship has been boarded!”

At this point, the frantic voice of Herlous sounded from his communicator.

Han Xiao hurriedly switched screens, only to see three charge cabins firmly latching onto Herlous’ spaceship. Herlous brought out his troops and was currently engaging with the enemy Thousand Beast Soldiers.

Luckily, Lagi’s spaceship passed by at this juncture and provided assistance. They killed off the bunch of enemies with ease, resolving the danger in Herlous’ spaceship.

Han Xiao suddenly felt his emotions surge. Within the chaos, he had accidentally discovered a breakthrough point.

“Attention to all, cover the Calamity Grade assault team. Try and allow them to land on the enemy’s flagship!”

Within this small-scale battlefield, the core would be the flagship of both parties. Compared to the enemy, Team Seven had the advantage with their Calamity Grade Supers, so their commander beheading operation had a higher chance of success.

Although their tactical goal was to restrain this fleet, the main commander would only give the target, and the specific actions were adjusted according to circumstances. It would definitely be more useful to destroy the opponent’s flagship rather than simply restraining them.

If one could obtain stellar results, the reward would naturally be higher.

Team Seven’s Calamity Grade assault teams, including Lagi, consisted of four teams. Han Xiao was not included.

When the order was issued, Team Seven immediately changed positions and began to cover the Calamity Grade assault team. They shuttled through the artillery bombing, quickly approaching the enemy’s flagship.

The enemy naturally spotted the tactical objective of Han Xiao and worked on intercepting the teams as well as covering their flagship to allow it to retreat.

While the distance between both sides was shrinking, it was too slow. Instead, the battlefield was slowly moving toward the frontlines. God only knew when they would reach the enemy flagship if that continued. So, making up his mind, he issued a new order.

“All Calamity Grade teams, board my Giant Soldier. I’ll take you there!”

The next instant, Han Xiao popped out of his spaceship, summoning his destroyer and sitting within the cockpit. Lagi and the others quickly got into the body of the Giant Soldier.

“Sit tight.”

Han Xiao operated the destroyer, pouring all its power into the thruster as it rushed toward the enemy’s flagship at a high speed.

The Giant Soldiers had more mobility and flexibility. Coupled with Han Xiao’s high operating level, he moved and penetrated deep into the enemy’s lines, attracting a lot of retaliatory fire. However, most of the attacks shot at him harmlessly, and some almost caused friendly fire.

Their distance was reduced at a speed visible to the naked eye!

It was a taboo in battle to operate independently, but Han Xiao was a Calamity Grade himself, and he was accompanied by four other Calamity Grade Supers. This turned them into a sharp sword with frightening power, causing the enemies to focus fire on them. Team Seven, which remained outside, immediately reacted, further restraining this fleet.

The destroyer finally arrived at the flagship and activated the shield neutralizer. They opened the hatch, allowing the four teams to successfully infiltrate the flagship. With only a single Calamity Grade Super within, they were bound to die.

Han Xiao did not sit idle, instead controlling his Giant Soldier to slice up the spaceships around him into pieces.

It was not long before the flagship could not withstand the impact and exploded!

However, the four teams had already evacuated, boarding Han Xiao’s Giant Soldier once again, and they broke out of the enemy lines.

While Han Xiao had succeeded in destroying the flagship, the armor value of his destroyer had almost reached zero. If not for his team that remained outside harassing and restraining, he would probably have lost his destroyer to the sheer firepower.

However, this small setback had reversed the situation on this minor battlefield. Under the continuous attacks of the team, the enemy troops began to retreat.

Han Xiao was just about to give pursuit, but at this time, he suddenly received a new mission notification.

(Partial Campaign: Retreat]

Mission Requirements: Retreat immediately, and conserve as much of team as possible

“Why are we retreating now?”

Han Xiao jumped in shock, casting his eyes out on the tactical screen. His pupils shrank.

On all the minor battlefields, only his one had gained an advantage!

The situation on the frontal battlefield had deteriorated rapidly. The large force of Section Zero was penetrated by Bloodshed Land, and more than two thousand warships had been destroyed. The main force of fifteen Calamity Grade Supers had suffered eight deaths, with seven injured.

All eight Vanguard Officials of the Bloodshed Land had entered the fray!

“No wonder I didn’t even encounter any of them!”

Han Xiao’s heart sank.

With the main force being destroyed, even if he had an advantage on his side, it would not help.

Section Zero had battled Bloodshed Land for the first time and lost!

…

On the main battlefield, a burning arc flew through the flagship of the organization. There were corpses everywhere, and blood flowed like a river.

Puchi.

Hunting Blade pulled out his war blade, and Sevitt’s body fell heavily. There was a huge hole in his side, with his internal organs already gone, and his blood had almost dried out. He was deader than dead at this point.

“This should be the last one. Let’s go. The battleship is about to explode.”

Hunting Blade wiped his blade and spoke through the communicator at the side of his armor toward Fosters, who was near the hole at the hull of the ship.

Fosters was looking through a hole to the distant battlefields. The horrible vacuum suction did not affect his body one bit.

“Black Star is not on the frontal battlefield. He should count his blessings.”

Fosters’ eyes gleamed coldly.

After retreating based on the command and moving far away from the fortress planet of Bloodshed Land, Han Xiao then learned of the number of casualties on the frontal battlefield.

“Such heavy casualties?”

After Bloodshed Land defeated the Alliance Fleet in the frontal battle, they had returned to their bridgehead and symbolically pursued the defeated frontal units of Section Zero for a while. However, because Han Xiao had been victorious on his minor battlefield, he had easily led his people to retreat, and the enemy did not pursue them.

Han Xiao had won a small victory, but it was a pity that this would not affect the overall war.

Despite the defeat in their war, Han Xiao’s tactical mission was considered completed, awarding him with millions of experience and more than two hundred Contribution Points from Section Zero as well as the Purple Crystal Civilization.

The defeated Alliance fleet stopped on a barren planet to rest. The atmosphere within was sorrowful and solemn, with many of the allies pulling long faces at the deaths of their comrades.

The dead Grade A Supers had practically exploded together with their flagship. The Arc Light Organization had lost Sevitt, and the surviving members had grieving expressions.

Just two days prior, Sevitt had still been smiling as he requested them to help out, but now, even his bones could not be found. Thinking of this, Han Xiao could not help but sigh. However, he did not disturb the surviving members. Instead, he assembled his Officers to count the losses of his own fleet. Very quickly, the result came.

“We only lost 34 battleships, and there were no casualties from the high-levelled combatants. The situation is still good.”

Han Xiao sighed in relief.

The Purple Crystal Civilization would compensate the various forces for their losses, or else there would be no one willing to cooperate with them. The battleships that Han Xiao had lost would also be replaced. In addition, he would also receive an additional reward from the department.

With some lingering fear, Herlous said, “I just went around to ask, and we actually have some of the lowest casualties within Section Zero. Our allies even lost a few of their Calamity Grades… I didn’t know it would be this dangerous.”

“Indeed, this was out of our expectations.” Han Xiao nodded. He was experiencing the situation before it had taken shape in Version 3.0, and this secret war was where the game versions were moving toward. However, he had currently only seen the background of the plot and was not clear on the specific details.

As for the victory of Bloodshed Land, Han Xiao was not surprised. If the Purple Crystal Civilization could topple them so easily, there would have been no need for Version 3.0.

During Version 3.0, Bloodshed Land had already built many bases across multiple planets, and a game of tug-of-war had been established between them and Section Zero. Han Xiao could guess that during the version update, Section Zero would definitely be at a disadvantage.

What he was surprised about was that, for the first battle, to have a death count of ten Grade As on their side was a little unbelievable.

If so many people would die in every war, it would not take a few months for all the Supers in Section Zero to die off. Bloodshed Land would also have heavy casualties, so both sides would lose out.

Beep beep!

Han Xiao suddenly received a communication request from Ralph.

After connecting, Ralph’s voice came through, sounding hoarse and full of static. “Black Star, how bad is the situation?”

After receiving the news of the failure in the war, Ralph could not help but contact Han Xiao to ask about the details.

“Extremely bad…”

Han Xiao recounted everything he knew and conveniently emphasized that his battlefield had an advantage.

Hearing this, Ralph got worried. “This is the only good news I’ve heard in the last hour. However, you cannot determine the outcome just by yourself.”

Han Xiao shrugged in response. He did not care; in any case, he would still receive his due compensation, so he did not lose out in any way.

“The objective of Bloodshed Land is to kill all our Grade A Supers. They’re trying to showcase their strength,” Ralph said.

Han Xiao’s eyes shone, and he immediately understood the intentions of Heber, secretly exclaiming to himself how ingenious this idea was.

Bloodshed Land had seized the greatest weakness of Section Zero-a lack of unity. This was a common problem among allied forces. Because each Grade A Super was the core of their own respective organizations, the eight vanguard officials had rushed out to kill all those top tier combatants so as to make the people within Section Zero fear the repercussions of their actions.

Every collaborator of Section Zero did not really care whether Purple Crystal held onto their territory. They had no territorial fondness, unlike the Purple Crystal Civilization, and were only there because of the benefits. Winning or losing the war was irrelevant to them, and the only thing they cared about was whether the benefits outweighed the losses.

If they battleships received damage, the Purple Crystal Civilization could compensate them and even reward them, allowing them to receive the resources of the Star Cluster Civilization. However, if their Calamity Grades were killed, there was nothing they could do about it. The Purple Crystal Civilization was unable to replace the loss of their high-level combatants.

This was the difference between Section Zero, which was in a state of disunity, and the cohesive Bloodshed Land, and it was a weakness that they could not change.

No wonder Bloodshed Land fought so fiercely.

Han Xiao groaned secretly. He did not care if the secret war was successful. In his previous life, the Purple Crystal Civilization had been destroyed, and only when the Crimson Dynasty had come to an agreement with the Federation of Light did they finally put a stop to all the wars that they had incited.

Before both Universal Civilizations completed their benefits exchange, no one would bother about the secret war between Klent and Purple Crystal. The Crimson Dynasty was Klent’s backer, so as long as Klent was not driven away, the Crimson Dynasty would split off a part of the land belonging to Purple Crystal and give it to them. This was Klent’s strategy and the result of his past life.

Han Xiao’s motive for joining Section Zero was not to help Purple Crystal win the war but rather to exchange his contributions for Cutting-Edge Knowledge.

If his losses were kept to the minimum, he did not mind keeping strictly to his designated tasks to complete the missions, slowly increasing his favorability to (Reverence).

Even if the broader picture was affected, as long as his ‘stocks’ in Purple Crystal continued to rise, he would still receive more attention and respect.

If people above did not die, how would he have a chance to move up?

A gleam shot through Han Xiao’s eyes. It was a pity the players were not there. That way, he would not have needed to care about deaths and injuries.

Putting aside his thoughts, Han Xiao said, “Bloodshed Land is still gaining a foothold in the West Wind Star System. What do we do next?”

“We’ll take a break for now. Wait for the reinforcements to arrive before we attack once more,” Ralph gravely replied.

The collaborators of Section Zero were located in various sectors of the Colton Star Cluster, with some only needing a short journey to arrive, whereas others took longer. Han Xiao belonged to the first batch of the allied troops and could be considered more of a vanguard force for Section Zero. The main force was still behind, so the failure of the vanguard force did not mean that Section Zero had been completely defeated.

Ralph was more worried about the tactics utilized by Bloodshed Land. For the enemy to target their powerful combatants, this could not be defended. He was worried that Section Zero would not put in any effort to cut their losses, with the worst outcome being the disbandment of the entire Section.

Han Xiao took a few deep breaths before suddenly speaking. “I have a suggestion. The next attack, let me hold the frontal battlefield.”

Ralph froze in shock. Black Star, despite knowing of the dangers, still chose to volunteer for the main battlefield?

“You, what you mean is…”

“Maybe I can hold off the Vanguard Officials of Bloodshed Land…” Han Xiao stroked his chin.

Ralph was overjoyed to the point he wanted to cry. Just now, the forces participating in the main battlefield, such as the Arc Light Organization, had demanded that they no longer assume the task of attacking as the frontal force. They did not dare face the Bloodshed Land Officials. Only Black Star was willing to step up and handle such a risky job.

This… this was the true meaning of a reliable cooperator!

Ralph held back his tears of joy, excitedly asking, “How many can you fend off?”

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes. “All of them.”

Ralph’s eyes bulged wide, incredulity plastered all over his face.

Are you f*cking kidding me?

This is no laughing matter!

“Don’t be too surprised. I never said I could beat them all. I only said that I can hold them off.”

Han Xiao waved his hand. He had calculated it a while ago. Against the eight Vanguard Officials, his chances of winning against them probably would only exceed Lagi’s by a minute amount. However, with his meat shield like capabilities, he was more than qualified to hold off the eight of them. Furthermore, he could still utilize Aurora’s Character Summon Card, so he only needed to maintain a battle.

With him stalling the Vanguard Officials, it could lower the risk that the allied combatants would face. Furthermore, showing such strength would allow him to gain a wave of reputation, which would result in more attention being paid to him by the Purple Crystal Civilization.

The most important reason was that Han Xiao planned to use this to strike a deal.

“To take such a huge risk, I won’t do it for free.”

“What do you want?” Ralph immediately asked.

Han Xiao’s brows rose. “I want the Cutting-Edge Knowledge for the Mechanic profession.”

“Deal!” Ralph immediately agreed.

At this time, he no longer hesitated. Black Star was already willing to bear the risk of death. As long as he could survive, the Purple Crystal Civilization need not be stingy with their resources.

Han Xiao’s expression did not change, but he was secretly exhilarated. Although he could lie low and slowly increase his favorability, the time taken would be longer. As long as he could reach for the skies in one single leap, he would not let go of this chance to obtain the Cutting-Edge Knowledge.

The sooner he completed his Class Advancement, the faster he would be able to break through to level 170, converting all his accumulated experience into actual combat capability. Furthermore, being able to hold back eight Vanguard Officials was a matter of reputation and prestige. He would kill two birds with one stone!

Han Xiao could not help but give rise to a wicked idea. He would rather the Purple Crystal Civilization lose more and win less. If the situation was not so dire, he would not have had a chance to obtain the resources that he wanted this quickly.

“Indeed, opportunities only exist in chaotic times. The ancient sages did not lie.” Han Xiao laughed to himself.

Standing by the side, Lagi heard the conversation and could not help but interject. “Do you need me to collect your corpse?”

Han Xiao was not angry but rather happy instead. It seemed like this would work. Lagi’s counterproductive comments had never failed before.

“Continue commenting, don’t stop.”

“No wonder you really want to commit suicide. You’re really mad.” Lagi sighed to himself. It seemed like he needed to change employers once more.

At the same time, the vanguard force of Bloodshed Land had summarized the outcome of the battle.

“We fought back a wave of attacks. All of you did well and got rid of quite a few Calamity Grade Supers. Purple Crystal’s allied force will definitely be wary after this.”

Jorde praised the result of the battle.

Hunting Blade nodded. “The enemy only launched a hasty attack and didn’t send out too many high-level troops. Your prediction was right.”

The vanguard force had prepared many different war strategies. Their original strategy had been to focus on defense, but upon observing that Section Zero did not send out an overwhelming force in their first attack, Jorde had switched strategies and gotten the eight Vanguard Officials to take action together. They had managed to take out a large number of Section Zero’s high-level combatants and achieve the effect of frightening the others.

“We should have about ten days until the enemy’s next attack. All of you should continue to deal with the high-level combatants of the enemy. This is the weakness of an allied army,” Jorde said with confidence.

Hunting Blade frowned in response. “With their first failure, the enemy will not underestimate us anymore and may not even be willing to fight us head on. We may not have such a chance again in the future.”

“Then we will have to create the chance,” Fosters, who was by the side, suddenly said. “If the enemy doesn’t send their high-level combatants to fight us, we will dismantle their entire fleet.”

Jorde nodded in agreement. “In any case, try to find the opportunity to kill as many high-level combatants as possible. The more terrified our enemy is, the lower the difficulty of our expansion.”

“Black Star should be participating in the next attack as well. I have a request,” Fosters suddenly said. “Everyone must send me the coordinates of Black Star’s location. If the frontal assault team doesn’t need me, I will go and get rid of Black Star.”

“Alright,” Jorde replied, “but don’t let your private grudge affect the overall situation.”

“Humph, I don’t need you to remind me about that. Furthermore, this isn’t my private grudge,” Fosters said coldly. “Black Star is Dragon Emperor’s subordinate. Getting rid of him will also force Dragon Emperor out. Only then can His Excellency Heber participate in the war openly.”

The presence of a beyond Grade A Super served as a deterrent, and they would rarely take action. Even if the Tyrant was the leader of Bloodshed Land, he did not personally participate in the war. However, if Ames took action, he would have an excuse to participate.

In their eyes, the Tyrant was obviously stronger than the Dragon Emperor.

Everyone’s eyes lit up.

Jorde nodded and said, “That makes sense. I shall hand him to you.”

“Don’t worry, I will be able to find him no matter where he hides.” Fosters nodded with satisfaction.

As the allied army was waiting for their reinforcements, a couple of riots broke out. With the Arc Light Organization at the helm, the various members of the frontal assault party requested to have a change of mission with the reason being their heavy losses.

Sevitt’s death had shocked the entire Arc Light Organization with their leader being filled with regret. Sevitt had been his capable assistant, and he had trusted Sevitt greatly. However, he had never imagined that Sevitt would perish in the very first battle, and the leader had immediately suggested backing out. All the other organizations who were part of the frontal assault group had experienced varying degrees of loss to their high-level combatants.

Such an intense battle was completely out of their expectations, and the eight Vanguard Officials had truly scared them out of their wits.

Perhaps they might have been able to defeat the Vanguard Officials if they worked together, but none of them were willing to lose their Calamity Grade Supers. As such, they had all tacitly agreed to avoid the battle.

This was a problem without a solution. The commander of Section Zero could only reorganize the battle formation and change the members in charge of frontal assault, hoping that the reinforcements would be willing to take up the responsibility.

However, the reinforcements also heard of the death count on the frontline and were not willing to take up the role. None of them were willing to sacrifice their high-level combatants.

The Purple Crystal Civilization was extremely helpless and only managed to get a few organizations to grudgingly accept the job after some private negotiations.

The strategy of Bloodshed Land was extremely effective, exposing the weakness of Section Zero in a single battle. Even if the members of Section Zero were famous armed organizations from the Colton Star Cluster, they were no more than a mob when gathered together.

However, Han Xiao was not disappointed that he would only have the opportunity to display his abilities when his faction was at a disadvantage.

Just when everyone was trying to avoid taking up the assault role, Han Xiao was the only one who volunteered for the job.

This piece of news quickly spread throughout the entire camp and set off a huge wave of commotion. Everyone looked at Han Xiao with strange looks filled with doubt, shock, and many other emotions.

Despite knowing that he would face a huge risk, Black Star still volunteered for the job. Did he lose his mind?

The few organizations that had already lost their comrades all watched from the side coldly. They all misunderstood Black Star’s intentions and felt that he was trying to step on their heads to display his brilliance so that Purple Crystal would think highly of him.

While this in itself was not a problem, the problem was that Black Star did not have the corresponding strength to perform such a feat. It was no different from seeking his own death. Did he not have any brains at all?

Many organizations in the allied army immediately came to a common understanding. In order to raise his status, Black Star did not want to live anymore.

However, not a single organization bothered to advise Black Star about anything. They needed someone to serve as cannon fodder at the front, and since Black Star was willing to die, they would not stop him.

Since Han Xiao had volunteered for such a dangerous mission, Ralph tried to fulfil almost every request of his. Han Xiao did not allow his subordinates to join the assault and got Lagi to lead Herlous and the others to participate in other less intense battles.

A few days later, the second batch of reinforcements finally arrived, and Section Zero’s allied army attacked the few bases that Bloodshed Land had in the West Wind Star System again.

Han Xiao got Herlous to command their forces temporarily while he formed the spearhead of the assault force with the Blacklight Stealth.

The objective of his mission this time was to pin down the eight Vanguard Official and the reward was Cutting-Edge Knowledge and a large amount of faction contribution points. The reward from this single mission was comparable to more than ten ordinary missions.

Because of their previous failure, Section Zero’s second assault attempt was being watched by the entire Star Field.

The other five Star Cluster Civilization of the Shattered Star Ring as well as some large organizations within the Star Field all focused their attention on the West Wind Star System. The outcome of the second exchange between both parties would be extremely indicative of the outcome of the secret war.

This was the second time that they had fought, and both Bloodshed Land and Section Zero were fully prepared. The battle between both parties had immediately shot to the peak without any foreplay.

Bright balls of flames lit up the pitch-black universe. The burning battleships, exploding cannons, and blinding laser cannons filled the entire battlefield.

The eight Vanguard Official with Fosters in the lead destroyed one battleship after another and swept through the battlefield with unstoppable momentum.

Rather than send out their high-level combatants to stop the Vanguard Officials, the Calamity Grade Supers from Section Zero all chose to avoid the battle and watch as the Vanguard Officials destroyed their battleships.

“Why are all of you in a daze! Stop them!” the commander roared.

“Roger, we will take action soon.”

“This isn’t the time yet. Wait for them to expend some energy first.”

The Grade A Supers all gave perfunctory replies.

Despite the commander being thoroughly enraged, he was also utterly helpless. He was helpless if these high-level combatants chose to go against his orders. Furthermore, knowing that Purple Crystal would compensate them for their lost battleships, they would rather watch their own fleet get destroyed than take action.

Ralph could no longer sit still. Despite knowing that the situation was bad, he did not expect it to be so terrible. Thus, he could not help but contact Han Xiao.

“Black Star, we can’t rely on the others. When will you take action? We will be defeated for sure if this continues.”

In the cockpit, Han Xiao looked at the coordinates of the eight Vanguard Officials and replied, “Give me a battlefield.”

“I understand!” Ralph was overjoyed.

He still doubted the fact that Black Star would be able to hold all eight Vanguard Officials back alone but had no choice but to believe Black Star.

At the center of the battlefield, the Vanguard Officials were having the time of their lives as they destroyed one battleship after another and disrupted the formation of Section Zero.

The eight Vanguard Officials were like leopards and the battleships like sheep. Without the high-level combatants pinning down the Vanguard Officials, the battleships were reduced to sitting ducks.

“Haha, the enemy Calamity Grade Supers still aren’t taking action. Do they truly not care about their fleet at all?”

Malekith burst into laughter in the communication channel.

“What a bunch of cowards. They don’t even have the guts to fight,” Hunting Blade sneered with disdain.

Boom!

In the interior of a battleship, Fosters crushed half the spaceship with his fists and boarded an assault spaceship before the battleship exploded. Upon hearing the conversation, he could not help but ask, “Why hasn’t anyone reported Black Star’s location to me yet? Where exactly is he?”

“I don’t know. No one has reported Black Star’s location yet. We managed to find the Black Star Army fleet, but Black Star isn’t part of the fleet. There is only a Grade A mage controlling the situation.”

Fosters glanced at the battlefield and coldly said, “Since the enemy’s high-level combatants are a bunch of cowards, I am not needed for the time being. I will go to the Black Star Army. He will definitely be hiding in the vicinity.”

“Okay, go ahead and leave matters here to us.” Hunting Blade nodded in response.

Just as Fosters wanted to leave the area, the battleship formation suddenly spread out to reveal a passage, and the Blacklight Stealth flew out from deep within the formation.

“That is… Black Star”

Fosters stopped abruptly with his gaze being fixed on the Blacklight Stealth. The other seven Vanguard Officials could not help but look over as well.

Han Xiao then left his spaceship wearing his Berserk Ape suit and floated in space. He looked at the eight Vanguard Officials and raised his hand to beckon for them in provocation.

A single individual in the vast battlefield was far too tiny, but not a single person in the surroundings could ignore Han Xiao’s presence. He unleashed his energy, and the high energy reading being given off from him was sufficient to set off the radar of any battleship around him.

Despite being far away from Han Xiao, Fosters and the others could clearly see Han Xiao’s actions.

“He is provoking us?” Hunting Blade was dumbfounded. He truly did not know who gave Black Star the courage to provoke them.

Fosters could not help but be surprised. He had thought that Black Star was hiding like the other Calamity Grade Supers and had never expected him to step out on his own.

“Not bad. At least he is more courageous than the others. Saves me some time.”

Fosters’ eyes narrowed, and he instructed the assault spaceship to charge for Han Xiao. He then jumped out from the spaceship and shot toward Han Xiao with his entire body burning with flames like a dark red meteor.

Han Xiao raised his arm, and the parts on his mechanical suit expanded out to form a gigantic mechanical fist that was a hundred meters in size. Bolts of Mechanical Force covered the fist ,and his fist hammered down on the meteor.

Sound would not be produced in the vacuum of space, and everyone could only visualize the sound of the collision in their heads.

Bang!

The gigantic fist was penetrated by the meteor to reveal a human sized hole, and Fosters’ fist arrived at Han Xiao’s chest.

Han Xiao was forced to retreat, and his body flew backward a short distance before he could stabilize himself. He then waved his arm to unequip the destroyed mechanical hand.

“Show me everything you have and let me have a good time.” Fosters sent Han Xiao a voice message to the mechanical suit’s communication system.

Leaving a voice message in a fight… This fellow is truly annoying.

Han Xiao then waved his arm, and the hatch to the Blacklight Stealth opened up. His Mechanical Army then swarmed out of the spaceship like a swarm of locusts.

Very quickly, his army revealed itself, and tens of thousands of machines floated beside him.

Such an army was not to be underestimated!

Because Purple Crystal would compensate him for his losses, Han Xiao did not hold anything back and sent out all his machines.

“The eight of you can come together. You won’t be able to deal with me alone.” Han Xiao returned the favor and sent Fosters a voice message, too. Fosters sneered coldly and could not be bothered to reply. Black Star was already a dead man in his eyes, and he alone was enough to get rid of this pest.

The Calamity Grade Supers of Section Zero were skiving off at the side, and not a single person seems to have any intention of helping Black Star.

Up until now, Han Xiao was the only Calamity Grade Super from Section Zero who had stepped out onto the main battlefield!

Let’s end this fast, thought Fosters, and intense flames immediately spread out from him, akin to the surface of a small star. Pushing forward with both of his palms at the tens of thousands of mechanical soldiers, a dark red beam struck toward Han Xiao and the Mechanical Army that surrounded him.

The outer layer of mechanical soldiers was directly blasted away, shattering into metal pieces. The debris was blown away like sand particles being washed away by the tide.

The cannon fodder machines could not stop the assault of the Grade A+ Fosters. Only the Oathkeepers beside Han Xiao stepped forward, deploying their shields to withstand the shockwave blast from Fosters.

Han Xiao’s eyes flashed, and his Mechanical Force rolled outward. Under the influence of [Mechanical Force Field], he covered all his mechanical soldiers. The next moment, he waved his hands, and the hundreds of thousands of mechanical soldiers opened fire at the same time, attacking Fosters with different formations and different tactical modes.

A fierce battle unfolded!

The vast Mechanical Army drowned Fosters. Right in the middle of the main battlefield, a smaller scale battlefield was formed. The fleets were still engaged with each other all around them, and Bloodshed Land did not care about a one on one battle, constantly firing toward Black Star’s Mechanical Army. However, Section Zero was not a group to be trifled.

While the rest of the Calamity Grades were watching the show, they still had the courage to command the fleet to provide enough cover for Han Xiao.

Moreover, surrounding the machinery were numerous floating shields, which blocked the attacks from time to time.

This was the all-out attack of a Mechanic at the Calamity Grade. A person could rival an entire fleet!

However, Han Xiao had placed all his attention on Fosters.

Millions of ion cannon rays crisscrossed, like a large airtight net, which continuously struck at Fosters. He dodged continuously and rammed through when he could not, relying on the sheer power of his Pugilist flames to also wreak havoc in the mechanical soldier army.

The armor of conventional mechanical soldiers was akin to paper in front of Fosters’ strength. In a battle between the Grade As, the role of the basic mechanical soldiers was just to provide firepower and tactical containment, as well as to continuously sap at the opponents’ health and strength. Under the bonus given by Han Xiao’s Mechanical Force, Fosters could only try to evade most of the time. Being bombarded by tens of thousands of concentrated firepower was nothing to scoff at.

While he might have been confident to endure it with his current strength, should he not treat himself better if possible?

As for the main combat force, it would be the small number of Grade A Elite Machinery, such as the improved versions of the Oathkeeper, Phantoms, and so on. The strength of a single unit naturally could not exceed that of the Calamity Grade itself, but their mutual cooperation would be able to threaten them. Even with their famed reputation within the Star Field, the Tyrant’s Vanguard Officials would not be able to blast away an Oathkeeper that was equipped with sufficient shields, energy, and thick armor in just two or three punches.

Han Xiao strolled leisurely among his Mechanical Army, but his walking speed was extremely fast. Coupled with his sudden change in direction, it caused Fosters to be unable to lock onto him.

However, Fosters did not dare pause, constantly maintaining his high evasion speed as he avoided the various attacks while analyzing the situation quickly in his heart.

Got to look for a chance to behead him in one fell swoop, or else I’ll be drowned by this human wave tactic.

It was not as if Fosters had not come into contact with any Mechanics specializing in the Army Style. He understood that once he was completely surrounded, he would be tortured to death sooner or later. One could not look down on the damage ten thousand soldiers could deal.

As for the weakness of the Army Style… if the commander was beheaded, the rest of the soldiers would easily be broken through.

Black Star has the moniker of Indestructible Body… however, he cannot be more difficult to deal with than the Mechanical Army itself.

Fosters stared closely before drastically increasing his speed using a skill. Flames blazed around him, and like a dark red bolt, he bashed through layers of mechanical soldiers to arrive beside Han Xiao, swinging a mighty fist filled with endless power toward Han Xiao’s neck.

The split second that the fist was supposed to connect, Han Xiao’s figure suddenly flickered, and the next instant, he was at another location within his Mechanical Army. This was his Advanced Void Travel.

It continued the same way. Every time Fosters launched an attack on Han Xiao, it would end up being easily neutralized by the latter. With Void Travel, (Chaos Entity-Release] as well as the Short Distance Teleporter Module on his Berserk Ape on continuous cycle, Fosters had no way to touch even his clothes. The shockwave blasts were avoided even more easily.

Fosters’ face got uglier as time passed. According to the intelligence received, he had thought that Han Xiao would choose to fight with him given his sturdy body, but he did not expect the latter to be as slippery as an eel.

As for Han Xiao, his thoughts were clear. Since I’m a Mechanic, before my Mechanical Army is depleted, there’s no need for me to rush up and get beaten up like an idiot.

His fleshly body was his trump card, and of course, he had to use it only as the last resort. His mission was to restrain the eight Vanguard Officials. By trapping Fosters within the Mechanical Army, he would make the guy feel unbearable, allowing him to call the rest over for him to restrain.

If not, just based off his fleshy body, while Fosters might not be able to kill him, he would be completely suppressed and beaten down without any chance to retaliate. In that case, he could not appear as carefree as he was now.

Han Xiao’s was considering this in the long term. As long as he completed this mission successfully, he would obtain the Cutting-Edge Knowledge needed for his Class Advancement. Destroying his entire Mechanical Army would give him an excuse to withdraw from the war for the current period of time, allowing him to go back and create a brand-new Mechanical Army with new and improved capabilities.

The Purple Crystal Civilization would naturally overcompensate him for his loss.

Since he knew that the expansion of Bloodshed Land was inevitable, with the current performance of Section Zero, they would be constantly defeated for the time being. There was no need for him to participate in a losing battle. It was better for him to go home and recuperate.

When the situation became bad and Purple Crystal started to panic, they would think of his performance before automatically asking him to participate. Only then would he take the opportunity to extort them.

While Han Xiao liked to utilize the Army Style, he also loved to personally enter the scene. However, this time, he had chosen to utilize conventional tactics, revealing his frightening evasion abilities to foil Fosters’ sudden advancement. The power of his Army Style was revealed to the fullest!

Although the losses of the Mechanical Army were constantly rising, Fosters’ energy consumption was also becoming severe. When facing hundreds of thousands of Mechanical soldiers, it caused a qualitative change as a result of the quantity. Unless one had a special tank-like ability, no one would be able to endure the entire group.

The damaged machinery was revived again and again by Han Xiao using both (Waste Modification] and [Machinery Continuation), and the soldiers appeared endless.

Both sides could see that Fosters appeared like a bug trapped within a spider’s web, completely falling into Black Star’s tempo. The Mechanical Army blessed by Han Xiao’s Mechanical Force as well as the (Superhuman] buff provided a 142% increase in damage at Level 170. This had greatly offset Fosters’ strength advantage.

“He’s managed to restrain the Chief Vanguard Official!”

There were quite a few Grade A Supers in Section Zero, and they all obtained a boost in their spirits.

To have Black Star’s capabilities rival the Chief Vanguard Official, this was good news.

However, no one was too surprised. With Black Star’s fame, many of his deeds had already spread among the people in the galaxy. He was also recognized to be one of the strongest members under the Dragon Emperor Ames. Thus, it was not surprising that he was able to match the Chief Vanguard Official of the Tyrant in power.

However, Ralph was a little worried. Black Star had promised him that he would restrain all eight of them, but currently, only Fosters was being trapped. The other Vanguard Officials were still moving around and destroying the warships. If not for the fact that Black Star was wrapped up in an intense battle, he would have urged a retreat.

After dodging yet another round of cannon fire, Fosters’ gaze wandered toward Han Xiao, feeling extremely stifled.

The difficulty in killing Black Star proved to be far out of his expectations.

Fosters still felt that Black Star was not a match for him. In his opinion, as long as he managed to snatch a chance, he would definitely obtain victory. However, the two of them had been fighting for so long that it had run counter to his original intention of ending the battle quickly. Unable to resist getting angry, his patience had long been worn thin.

“Hunting Blade, Malekith… all of you come over and help me to destroy Black Star’s Mechanical Army. I’ll see where he can still hide!” Fosters shouted out.

The other seven Vanguard Officials who were dealing with the fleet around received the new instructions and were surprised. Fosters had mentioned that Black Star was an opponent whom he would deal with alone, but now he needed help!

However, they naturally gave him some face, not to mention that Black Star had provoked them as well. Thus, all of them turned around and killed their way toward the tiny battlefield that Fosters and Black Star were at. They were akin to seven meteors, crashing into the Mechanical Army.

The moment the eight Vanguard Officials joined forces, the situation deteriorated instantly. The Mechanical Army was destroyed wantonly.

“Black Star cannot hold on much longer.”

The Grade A Supers in Section Zero felt shock in their hearts, but to face off against eight of the Vanguard Officials, none of them had the courage to risk it and support him. Before the Mechanical Army was completely destroyed, Black Star still had hope.

Fosters eyed Han Xiao like a hawk the whole time. The moment Black Star intended to escape, he would immediately rush forward to disrupt him, not allowing him to escape.

Contrary to his expectations, even though the situation was clearly not on his side, Han Xiao continued to shift and dodge, without any intention of escaping. This resulted in Fosters’ vigilance being useless.

“What is Black Star doing? Why is he not retreating?”

“Does he not know that fighting on will only lead to his death?”

The surrounding Calamity Grades were all frightened, carrying expressions of incredulity. Was he really going to fight all eight by himself? The entire area was filled with shards from his Mechanical Army, with none of them in one complete piece. Fosters and the other seven finally stopped, gazing over at Han Xiao like a tiger eyeing its prey. Shooting a glance at the nonexistent Mechanical Army, Han Xiao remained passive. His opponents were the famed Vanguard Officials. This result was still within his expectations. Just based off the Mechanical Army alone, it would be difficult for him to face the assault of eight people.

However, with his insurance covering his losses, Han Xiao did not feel any heartache. Instead, he smiled before addressing the eight of them. “Hehe, seems like it’s still eight against one in the end.”

Fosters’ face sank, and he growled, “Hurry up and deal with him. Let’s see if he still can laugh.”

“Really? All of us?” Malekith was surprised.

“Since we’ve already done so, let’s just finish this.”

The others were reluctant. In the first place, they had given Fosters face, allowing him to single out Han Xiao to fight. However, now that Fosters had gotten tired, he wanted them to help—they could not stop halfway. Bloodshed Land never emphasized fighting single battles—they only focused on getting the job done as fast as possible.

The eight of them rushed forward, and Han Xiao too breathed out once before rushing forth to meet them. In the eyes of the Calamity Grades around, Black Star’s back seemed to have an impression that he had seen past death itself.

Everyone was touched!

They did not understand why Black Star would be so desperate to give up his life!

It was as though eight shooting stars continuously hit Han Xiao’s body. Their explosive fists burst forth with numerous afterimages, bombarding every inch of his body.

Was Black Star hit with thousands of punches or tens of thousands? Nobody could tell for sure.

Everyone around had the cold sense of desolation, akin to foxes grieving when all the rabbits died. They could not bear to watch. Black Star’s ending would definitely be grisly.

However, the next moment, everyone rubbed their eyes, not daring to believe this scenario!

When facing the barrage of blows like a heavy thunderstorm, while Han Xiao was beaten black and blue, to the point even his Mechanical suit shattered, his body was still perfectly sturdy, and he remained so lively even when facing such heavy punches!

Fosters and the rest suddenly stopped, staring at Han Xiao with uncertain gazes.

The strength that they released just now would be enough to destroy half the surface of a medium planet. How was Black Star still alive?

The MP and HP are indeed reliable, and the Steel Body ability does negate a lot of damage. However, these fellows are really frightening. I nearly had to use Aurora’s Character Summon Card.

While he was being beaten up, Han Xiao’s had been calmly analyzing the situation.

Seeing that the eight had stopped, Han Xiao exhaled, rubbing his shoulders and neck whilst revealing a careless smile. This, however, worked better than any form of provocation. Fosters’ face turned steely as he felt that this smile was full of ridicule toward him, as though it was Han Xiao saying, Why did you stop?

At this moment, everybody’s expression seemed to freeze up.

Ralph had a crazed expression of joy on his face. Black Star was indeed able to restrain all eight of them-he was serious about that!

The Grade As from Section Zero revealed various expressions of shock. Those eight were no ordinary Calamity Grade Supers; they were all the reputed eight Vanguard Officials of Bloodshed Land! The fame of each one resounded throughout the Star Field!

Fosters and the rest were furious. The eight of them had only lost to Tyrant whenever they joined hands!

They could not believe that Han Xiao could actually withstand their offensive.

It was as though the raging waves had smashed against the cliff but ended up being scattered into sea foam!

The name Black Star popped into everyone’s head, with the connection that could not be waved away.

Was this the famed… Indestructible Body

“This is ‘Indestructible Body’ Black Star…”

“The strength of his body is even more exaggerated than in the rumors. With such a powerful recovery ability, only a beyond Grade A Super would be able to kill him.”

“Tanking the attacks of the eight Vanguard Officials under Tyrant single handedly? He lives up to the name of being the number one general under Ames. Just where did Ames find such a ferocious character?”

Han Xiao’s performance truly shocked many of the Calamity Grade Supers in Section Zero.

They had all thought that Black Star was overestimating himself and would end up sacrificing himself in battle. Who would have thought that the difference between them was so big?

Fosters was extremely shocked in his heart, and he said, “His body is a little strange. A portion of our attacks were absorbed by his cells to allow him to recover quickly.”

Hunting Blade’s expression was solemn. “I realized that, too.”

The chief Vanguard Official had plenty of experience in battle and quickly identified the logic behind Han Xiao’s Indestructible Body. Fosters’ eyes narrowed, and he immediately thought of a method to deal with Han Xiao.

“He isn’t able to recover instantly, and there is an upper limit to his ability. As long as our attack exceeds that limit, we will definitely be able to cause true damage to him. We need to launch an explosive series of attacks and not give him the chance to breathe. That is the only way that we can kill him.”

Fosters’ eyesight was extremely sharp, and he came to a conclusion that was extremely near to the truth.

Hearing that it was possible to kill Black Star, the seven others heaved sighs of relief.

The endurance that Black Star had displayed truly terrified them. The combined attack of the eight of them was sufficient to cause an entire ridgeline to collapse, and they would not even dare endure such an attack with their own bodies, just like how they would not dare tank the attacks of Han Xiao’s Mechanical Army but choose to avoid them.

Looking at Han Xiao, who was currently at the center of the attack, Fosters said in a deep voice, “Don’t overestimate Black Star. While it is extremely difficult to kill him, as long as we can destroy his Mechanical Army, the threat that he poses will be greatly reduced. I will be able to pin him down alone.”

However, Fosters’ target was not just to pin Black Star down but to kill Black Star. If the eight Vanguard Officials were not able to kill a single enemy of their same level when working together, this would be a huge blow to their reputation. They would only be able to establish their dominance by killing Black Star and scaring the other members of Section Zero.

“Attack together. Change tactics and do not spread out the strength of your attacks.”

The moment he finished his sentence, the eight of them charged forward together. Fosters had said that only high damage in a short period would have a chance of killing Black Star, and the joint force of the eight of them could be extremely frightening.

Han Xiao had already guessed that the eight of them would attempt a second attack. The members of Bloodshed Land all had brains made from muscle and would not give up that easily.

He did not just stand still to tank the attacks. He spread his arms, and bolts of Mechanical Force shot out in all directions. Even if the Mechanical Army was destroyed, the spare parts floating around in space were his weapons!

Countless spare parts gathered toward Han Xiao like a whirlpool, and they quickly transformed into a gigantic mechanical cannon and arm.

The metal fist knocked the flames apart, and the laser cannon lit up the dark space. Han Xiao launched his ferocious counterattack.

If the battlefield was not located in the vacuum of space, the commotion of the battle would definitely have been earth shattering.

At the same time, five multicolored light rays intersected each other with a frightening force being hidden within them!

A Grade B Super would not even be able to withstand the shockwaves from the battle between Han Xiao and the eight Vanguard Officials!

For Han Xiao to transform all the spare parts into weapons, it required the use of (Waste Modification), (Basic Machinery Construction), and [Mechanical Force Combat Technique]. It greatly exhausted his energy, but the ferocious attacks of the eight Vanguard Officials made it such that Han Xiao did not lack energy at all.

Boom boom boom!

Every time their fists came into contact with each other, bright energy rings would be emanated.

The battle was becoming more and more intense!

Because Fosters had identified the method to deal with Han Xiao, the eight Vanguard Official’s chose to use attacks with high burst damage. Their coordination was seamless, and their attacks rained down on Han Xiao without end. Han Xiao had to face a thunderstorm of attacks every second.

Punches with enough force to flatten mountains hammered down on his chest, and flames that were comparable to the main canons of battleships burned his bones. In order to achieve high burst damage, the eight Vanguard Officials used all their strength and greeted Han Xiao with all their techniques.

Their fists were like shooting stars, and those shooting stars were like rain!

Boom boom boom!

The tremors in his muscles and bones were all transmitted to his brain, and Han Xiao felt like a rice cake being hammered repeatedly. The eight Vanguard Officials had extremely powerful control over their strength, and Han Xiao suffered attacks ninety percent of the time. His retaliation was only able to cause a small disturbances to the Vanguard Officials and was insufficient to interrupt their attacks.

There was a limit to the conversion of energy into health, and he was only able to regain twenty-eight percent of his health every second.

The damage he took every second reached 450,000, and it exceeded the rate of his recovery.

This damage was extremely frightening, and an ordinary Calamity Grade Super would only be able to survive for two seconds before being turned into a corpse.

Thankfully, my Strengthened Life talent was upgraded to the advanced stage and gave me 200,000 HP. If not, my recovery speed would not have been able to keep up.

Enduring the pain from the never-ending attacks, Han Xiao grit his teeth and remained calm. His eyes were locked on his health meter. If things got too dangerous, he was prepared to use the Aurora Character Summon Card or Void Travel to give him some breathing space.

If the battle continued in such a manner, he would eventually be defeated. However, Han Xiao did not panic. He had only chosen to take on such a risk after serious consideration.

The most dangerous part of this battle was only the start. As long as he could drag this battle on, he would be safe.

His (Advanced Strengthened Life] talent did not only increase his HP but also allowed him to be more valiant as he fought. Every time he lost forty percent of his HP, his attributes would be increased by ten percent, including his Endurance.

This meant that Han Xiao’s HP limit would only increase as the battle went on!

While the twenty-eight percent limit would not change, the amount of HP that he could recover would still increase!

This Molding Ability had made up for the shortcoming of the conversion limit and was the perfect combination to increase his recovery rate!

As long as he could survive past the most dangerous starting phase, the threat that the eight Vanguard Officials posed to him would become smaller!

Apart from the lack of aggro attracting skills, Han Xiao was already a god-level Main Tank!

The battle continued, and the frightening shockwaves from their battle truly scared the other Calamity Grade Supers present.

Through the energy reaction on their radar, they could see Black Star’s life force signal becoming stronger and stronger. This meant that the terrifying attack of the eight Vanguard Officials did not threaten his life but made him stronger instead!

Even if Han Xiao was in an extremely pathetic state right now, no one dared underestimate him!

Only a single word was able to describe how all of them felt.

Unbelievable!

Fosters could already feel that something was wrong as the feeling of his fists coming into contact with Han Xiao’s body became different. He could clearly feel Han Xiao’s body becoming stronger by the second.

He is becoming stronger!

This thought floated up in his head, and his heart was shocked. At the same time, an unknown sense of rage exploded in his head.

Just how many trump cards does Black Star actually have?

This is enough!

Fosters hammered himself on the chest, and the flames on his body glowed brightly. All his energy was then channeled into his arms, and his arms ballooned up.

All the muscles in his body were clenched tight!

Arteries popped out by his temples and a dark red glow could be seen emanating from his fists.

Right at this moment, the radar from the surrounding battleships all let out an alarm.

“Warning, warning, high-energy response detected!”

The next moment, a blinding red beam of light shot out from Fosters’ fists.

A gigantic red ball of energy smashed into Han Xiao with a pillar of fire behind its tail.

This single fist snatched the limelight of the entire battlefield, and the terrifying energy wave of the attack made everyone fill in the sound effects in their heads.

Boom!

“This is the Star Shaking Fist!”

The other seven Vanguard Officials were startled. This was a Pugilist skill that the Tyrant had taught them personally. It expended a large amount of their energy, and they all treated it as their killing blow.

They had seen Heber personally unleash the Star Shaking Fist, and the might of the attack lived up to its name!

Fosters was Heber’s favorite student, and while his strength did not reach the level of a beyond Grade A Super, the shadow of Heber could be seen behind this fist of his.

Despite the thoughts flashing through their minds, their hands did not stay idle, and they copied Fosters.

Eight Star Shaking Fists smashed down on Han Xiao from all different directions!

Sh*t! Why do all of you like energy blasts so much. Do you think that you’re a Saiyan[1]?

The instant the attacks landed on him, Han Xiao only had time for a single thought.

The next instant, a terrifying blast of energy exploded!

Eight blinding energy blasts collided with each other and exploded with Han Xiao as the center!

The ball shaped energy wave expanded rapidly until the size of it exceeded that of a flagship. It was like a small planet made from energy and instantly became the focus of everyone present.

The energy ball expanded to its maximum, and a huge explosion occurred!

The blinding light from the explosion made everyone close their eyes instinctively.

Silence filled the battlefield.

A shockwave spread out in the galaxy.

The explosion ended in silence.

Before the explosion, Fosters and the other Vanguard Officials had already retreated and witnessed the outcome of their attack from afar.

This move of theirs had expended half of their energy and stamina. Even with their powerful Pugilist bodies, they were panting heavily from the attack, with their armor surrounding their arms cracking to reveal their bare skin.

Everyone’s attention was focused on the center of the explosion. However, the place was completely empty, and Han Xiao’s figure could not be seen.

“Was he reduced to smithereens?” Fosters’ eyes lit up with joy.

Even he did not realize that he had lost his confidence.

“Did he really die!” The members of Section Zero could not help but worry.

At this moment, a grayish fog suddenly condensed together and rapidly transformed into Han Xiao.

After regaining his physical form, Han Xiao spat out a mouthful of blood. His appearance was pale, and his limbs were covered with injuries, with burn marks and blood all around.

Before anyone could even react, Han Xiao’s wounds began to close up rapidly, and all his lost blood and flesh grew back. His pale appearance also began to regain color, and in the blink of an eye, he recovered to his peak.

Aurora’s Character Summon Card, [Life Return)!

Dammit, I was almost blown to death. Han Xiao felt a lingering fear in his heart.

The eight Star Shaking Fists, when used together, formed a special reaction, and the DarkStar mothership main cannon that he had tanked before was like a little brother before this.

In order to tank this blow, Han Xiao used all his trump cards. He had first used (Repel—Thorns] to reduce thirty percent of the initial attack. He then transformed into his Chaos Body form to ignore ninety-five percent of the damage with his energy becoming his health.

When his energy was completely exhausted, he had transformed back into his physical form, and his health had begun to fall with his energy being replenished rapidly. However, the interior of the energy ball was like a furnace with damage being dealt every second. Thankfully, he had the [Steel Body) to cancel out most of the damage, allowing him to replenish his energy. He had then transformed a couple of times between his Chaos Body form and physical body to tank the damage.

After his physical body met with the last wave of the explosion, his health had immediately emptied out, and he could only transform back into his Chaos Body form to avoid the calamity. When he reappeared again, his energy had been reduced to zero, and his HP had been left with eight percent.

He was at his wits end!

Han Xiao could only make use of his final trump card, (Life Return), to return to his peak state.

It was too dangerous!

Han Xiao had almost perished.

The scene of his physical body recovering was displayed before everyone present.

Black Star was still alive!

The next moment, the entire battlefield fell silent.

All the Calamity Grade Supers only had a single thought.

That attack was definitely at the beyond Grade A standard!

However, Black Star had managed to tank it.

They were shocked to the point they fell into a daze.

Right at this moment, the commander of Section Zero issued a new order.

“Retreat!”

While Han Xiao and the eight Vanguard Officials fought to a stalemate, Section Zero had slowly been pushed back and were not able to chase Bloodshed Land out of the region.

Despite facing eight high-level combatants alone, Han Xiao still was not able to turn the situation around. His teammates did not become outstanding because of him.

Only a beyond Grade A Super would be able to determine the direction of a war single handedly!

Despite Section Zero losing, Han Xiao’s objective had been met.

It could be said that he was the only winner of this battle!

Even the victor of this battle, Bloodshed Land, could only remain in the background!

Han Xiao boarded the Blacklight Stealth and returned with the main fleet. Fosters and the others did not attempt to stop him. Their stamina was running out, and it would not be appropriate for them to enter enemy lines. Furthermore, he had already lost the confidence to kill Black Star.

The eight Vanguard Officials could only watch as Section Zero retreated.

The Section Zero fleet split up to reveal a path to welcome Han Xiao as though he was victorious. Despite being the losing party, Section Zero’s morale was extremely high. Even though Bloodshed Land had won the battle, the atmosphere seemed as though they had lost.

Right at that moment, those who had witnessed the battle between Han Xiao and the eight Vanguard Officials understood one thing.

After this battle, Black Star would no longer be treated as an ordinary expert and would go up to the next level. He had truly walked onto the stage of the bigshots in the Star Field!

The Calamity Grade Supers from Section Zero could predict that Black Star would be completely different from them!

[1] This is a reference to Dragon Ball.

The Section Zero fleet left the Bloodshed Land startled. Word of the astonishing fight earlier quickly spread throughout the entire fleet. The other allies were all shocked and could not believe it. Their doubts were only cleared when they saw the video footage.

Han Xiao met with Lagi and the others. The battlefield that his troops had been in did not have an intense fight, so the damage suffered in this battle was insignificant.

After leaving the battlefield, a notification popped up on Han Xiao’s interface.

You have received 1 Legendary Point.

Han Xiao was not surprised. Back when he faced the attack of three DarkStar Calamity Grades before he was even a Calamity Grade himself, he had also received the [Battle of Three Calamity Grades] Legendary Point. Now that he had faced the eight Vanguard Officials who were much more famous, receiving a Legendary Point was expected.

Star Cluster Legendary Point (Colton Star Cluster): Indestructible Body. You fought eight Vanguard Officials of the Bloodshed Land at once, and with absolutely unquestionable results, you proved to the world that you deserved this title. Tales of this fight will be passed on by many, becoming an everlasting legend!

Indestructible Body…

Han Xiao was surprised. This had initially been a nickname given by many organizations, but now it had become official. He felt very excited for some reason.

He had finally earned a real title for himself!

Star Cluster Legendary Points increased his rewards by twenty percent, much higher than Star System Legendary Points. This was his first Star Cluster Legendary Point.

If I defeated the eight Vanguard Officials, the reward might totally be a Star Field Legendary Point.

Han Xiao shook his head. That was beyond his capabilities. All the Vanguard Officials were very tanky, too. Plus, they had cooperated with each other very well, controlling the tempo of the battle. Retreating alive was the limit of his current capabilities. Only Beyond Grade As could deal with this kind of situation with ease.”

On the interface, the mission was shown as completed. Han Xiao was about to contact Ralph and tell him to carry out his end of the deal, but as soon as he took out the communicator, Ralph’s communication request came first.

As soon as he picked up, Ralph instantly spoke. “Black Star, your combat capability has completely exceeded my expectations. You really did it! Although we did not win this time, you have put an end to the negative situation…”

Ralph did not hold back in praising him. Due to fear of Bloodshed Land’s strategy, the Calamity Grade Section Zero members had all been unwilling to fight. At this crucial moment, Han Xiao had been the only one that could directly restrain those enemies. Han Xiao was a straw to clutch at in his eyes. He praised him nonstop till the point that even Han Xiao was annoyed.

Han Xiao could not help but stop him.

“Stop it. There’s no need for these compliments. It’s time to complete the deal. Give me the Cutting-Edge Knowledge. I want to retreat from the battlefield temporarily.” Hearing that, the excitement on Ralph’s face froze. “You want to quit the secret war?”.

“Just temporarily. As you have seen, in order to fight the eight Vanguard Officials, my Mechanical Army was wiped out. I’m a Mechanic. Without my machines, my combat capability will decrease tremendously. Plus, I’m actually suffering from rather serious internal injuries. I’m only forcing myself not to vomit any blood,” Han Xiao said with a serious and sincere face.

“Really?” Ralph looked at Han Xiao suspiciously.

He did not look injured at all.

“What, do you want me to vomit some blood for you to see?” Han Xiao opened his mouth and looked like he was about to vomit.

“Alright, alright, I believe you.” Ralph quickly stopped him. He felt that Black Star might really be heavily injured.

Thinking about it, he had fought against the eight Vanguard Officials. Plus, he had been hit by a Beyond Grade A standard attack; it was normal for him to pay a price for it.

Han Xiao paused and explained, “I need to rest for some time. Cutting-Edge Knowledge is extremely complex. I will need half a month… Hmm, a month to learn it.”

Ralph nodded. Cutting-Edge Knowledge was indeed very complex.

“Also, I need time to rebuild my Mechanical Army. This will be a huge project. I won’t be able to utilize my full potential if I don’t rebuild it, so it would be meaningless even if I did continue to take part in the battles.”

“Er… I suppose.” Ralph was in a dilemma. “But if you quit, we really won’t have the ability to fight back in terms of high-level combatants. As you know, the other members are not really contributing at all.”

Han Xiao shrugged, as if saying, I’ve done what I could.

He shook his head and said, “As you’ve seen, I can’t change the war alone, and this battle has proved that. Even though I held back the Vanguard Officials, the fleet wasn’t able to penetrate into the Bloodshed Land’s stronghold. Compared to Bloodshed Land, our alliance fleet looks like an amateurs. The way I see it, the Bloodshed Land will almost definitely succeed in their invasion.”

After two battles, Ralph was rather pessimistic. He asked, “What thoughts do you have?”

“I think that at the start of the secret war, Bloodshed Land will gather their forces to create the first batch of strongholds,” Han Xiao said in a sincere tone. “It will be exceedingly difficult for us to stop that from happening. However, Bloodshed Land will have to split their forces to build more strongholds in order to invade the several Star Systems near the borders. This will cause their forces to split up. At that time, maybe Section Zero will have a chance to counterattack.”

Although he did not know the details from the version update, he still remembered what the situation of the secret war had been at the later stages during Version 3.0. From that, he could deduce Bloodshed Land’s advantages during the earlier stages.

The march of Bloodshed Land was unstoppable. He wanted to retreat now because he did not want to get thrashed by the opponents in the earlier stages.

Ralph contemplated for a while. In the end, he could only admit that what Han Xiao had said made a lot of sense. That might really turn out to be how things developed. He suddenly felt powerless and asked, “You’re right-do you have any suggestions?”

“I feel that the most important matter at the moment is the fact that the high-level combatants of Section Zero are avoiding battles. We shouldn’t have unrealistic fantasies about chasing all the enemies away. It’s best to stop when suitable to avoid larger damage. The time to counter-attack has yet to arrive. What we need to do now is strengthen our forces till that moment arrives.”

Star Cluster Civilizations were not short on resources. In order to stop Bloodshed Land, Purple Crystal could use these resources to increase the strength of the Section Zero members. As for Han Xiao, who had already shown his value, if the Purple Crystal Civilization took his advice, he would receive even more benefits.

Ignoring the Great Mechanic Han’s ulterior motive, this suggestion did make sense. At least, this was a feasible strategy for Ralph.

“I will pass on your suggestion to the commanding department and let them analyze it.” Ralph paused before sighing. “As for your request, I will approve it… I have only one requirement. When you have recovered fully, you have to return to the battlefield immediately.”

“Of course. When will you give me the Cutting-Edge Knowledge?”

“I will give you a knowledge list later. You can pick it for yourself. By the way, the resources to make up for your loss will also be handed to you as soon as possible.”

Han Xiao smiled.

With the Cutting-Edge Knowledge that he was soon going to receive, he would be able to complete his Class Advancement mission. One of the bigger goals of joining the secret war had already been achieved.

Han Xiao had taken a shortcut, so he did not have to spend too much time farming Favorability. This act of holding back the eight Vanguard Officials alone was unduplicatable; the Vanguard Officials had now discovered that he was very difficult to kill, so they would not waste their energy fighting him together. This time, it brought Han Xiao fame, and the Vanguard Officials would definitely not make the same mistake next time.

Han Xiao was extremely tanky, but his actual combat capability was not that extraordinary. One or two Vanguard Officials would be able to restrain him. What had happened that day would never happen again.

In order to become stronger, he needed to continue leveling up as well as build new machines using the Cutting-Edge Knowledge as the core.

After closing the communication, Ralph sent the knowledge list over.

There was a total of sixty Mechanic knowledges, twenty from Armed, Energy, and Control Branch each. These knowledges were grouped into five levels —basic, advanced, and high-level knowledges made up forty-five of the sixty knowledges. There were only fifteen Cutting-Edge Knowledges and Ultimate Knowledges in total. The fact that there were so few of them showed how extremely valuable they were.

There were nine types of Cutting-Edge Knowledges, three from each of the branches. Even Purple Crystal did not have all the Cutting-Edge Knowledges, just some of them.

Han Xiao was a Virtual Mechanic. The Potential Point cost for learning Control Branch Cutting-Edge Knowledges was normal, but it would cost triple the Potential Points to learn Cutting-Edge Knowledges from the other two branches.

Yet, Han Xiao did not choose the Control Branch Cutting-Edge Knowledge but an Energy Branch Cutting-Edge Knowledge.

[Abnormal State Energy]!

This was a must-learn knowledge for any Mechanic after Class Advancement. It could be considered an evolutionary knowledge for Mechanics.

After learning this knowledge, only then would the Mechanics be able to harvest, extract, and use psionic and antimatter energy on a large scale!

Energy was the core of machines. The change in energy technology would bring tremendous changes!

Han Xiao had been waiting for this knowledge for a very long time. He had saved his Potential Points so that he could afford the triple cost.

Since he did not have to take part in the upcoming battle, Han Xiao took his people and left, heading back to the base in the Garton Star System.

The other Section Zero members were envious, seeing that the Black Star Army was leaving, but none of them had a problem with it.

Black Star had taken a huge risk in this battle. He did indeed have the right to go back and rest. The others could only watch as the Black Star Army departed.

…

The second fight between Purple Crystal and Klent had ended. The other five Star Cluster Civilization that had been paying attention to the secret war received the battlefield report very soon. Those superiors could almost not believe their own eyes.

Black Star had fought the eight Vanguard Officials alone and survived almost unharmed?

Really?

This news thunderously appeared on the desk of the various organization leaders and stirred up a storm in their social circle!

The seven Star Cluster Civilizations, Bloodshed Land, and the other huge organizations all reevaluated Han Xiao.

Originally, in their eyes, Black Star was most famously known as Ames’ trustworthy subordinate and secondly known for his network. Black Star’s position in their social circle had basically come from these two titles. However, these organizations did not consider his combat capability to be anything notable. On average, their assessment of him wasBlack Star is a rather strong Calamity Grade, but he’s not overwhelmingly strong among those of the same grade.

However, this news shattered all the opinions of these organizations concerning Han Xiao.

According to his performance in this battle, the seven Star Cluster Civilization and the various organizations reevaluated his strength. “In the universe, fighting alone isn’t popular. Many people have to face more than one opponent of the same grade at the same time. It’s known that Mages and Mechanics are the two types of Supers that are most capable of fighting more than one enemy of the same grade.

“Black Star is a Mechanic, but his way of fighting more than one enemy is different.

“Mechanics have shared weakness—their physical body isn’t strong enough. Other than some Mechanics that use single unit combat suits, most Mechanics are afraid of the enemies closing the distance. However, Black Star has an unbelievable physique. His endurance is extremely high, and he has an almost Esper ability level recovery speed. The strategy of closing the distance on him will be turned into a trap by him instead.

“He’s a special Mechanic. Even if he loses his machines, he will still have a very high combat capability with his physique. Dragging out the battle is his strength-he’s able to make the battles long enough to make more than ninety percent of the Calamity Grades exhausted and powerless.

“From the machines that Black Star has showcased, it’s clear that he has yet to master the use of psionic energy. As soon as he starts to use psionic as the energy core, with his terrifying physique, Black Star’s strength will multiply many times. He will undoubtedly become one of the very few people that stand at the top of Calamity Grades.

“According to the intelligence above, it’s strongly recommended to move him into the (Shattered Star Ring Beyond Grade A Seed Observation List]…

“Black Star has the potential of reaching Beyond Grade A!”

The Beyond Grade A Seed List was on an entirely new level from the usual Calamity Grades. The Star Cluster Civilizations paid attention to everyone on this list. Every name represented someone extremely talented with the potential to become a Beyond Grade A.

This was not only determined by potential but also strength, growth speed, special talent, race, ability type, and many other factors.

This list covered the entire Shattered Star Ring.

However, there were a few dozen people on the list!

Chapter 661 A New Level

On Planet Heber, Bloodshed Land’s headquarters, the intelligence of the frontline was transmitted back to the command post. Jorde requested to see Heber-he felt that he had to report Black Star’s performance.

Heber sat on the enormous throne inside the palace. After hearing Jorde’s report, not only was he not angry, he showed an interesting expression instead. He slowly spoke with a thunderous voice.

“I was not wrong. Black Star is wasting his talent under Ames. He should’ve come to be my subordinate.”

Heber shook his head. He had always thought Han Xiao was very capable, but Han Xiao had rejected him twice. He definitely would not invite him a third time.

“Klent isn’t very happy. They think that Black Star is an unstable factor and should be eliminated as soon as possible,” Jorde said.

“I don’t need them to teach me how to fight a war,” Heber said. “What do my eight Vanguard Officials think?”

“Er, Fosters said that he has brought shame to Bloodshed Land’s name and is very embarrassed. He will use a hundred victories to wash away today’s shame.”

Jorde chose his words carefully. The truth was, Fosters was not as emotionally stable as Jorde said he was-he was almost depressed.

“The Bloodshed Land’s position won’t decrease because of just one battle,” Heber replied. “He’s a winner, so he shouldn’t act like a loser. In the entire Shattered Star Ring, there are dozens of Calamity Grades that have the potential to become a Beyond Grade A. However, after so many years, there are still only four Beyond Grade As…”

After a pause, a fierce vibe came from Heber. Jorde felt as if his neck had been grabbed by someone, and his breath stopped for a moment.

“Potential is just potential. With me here, there’s no need to fear anyone.”

Jorde was instantly motivated. Heber’s confidence was what made it worth following him till the end.

At the same time on the Purple Crystal Civilization’s mother planet…

The two losses of Section Zero had made the Purple Crystal upper echelons very unsatisfied. Black Star’s performance was the only good news among all the bad news.

The high-level government officials from the relevant departments hosted a private meeting to discuss Black Star.

“Beyond Grade A seeds are extremely rare. Although the Dragon Emperor is neutral, Black Star is on Purple Crystal’s side. He has remarkably high investment value.”

“That’s right. Black Star’s force is in the Colton Star Cluster, so he’s close to us. If he can become a Beyond Grade A, this means that a Beyond Grade A force will appear in Colton. This will make up for our disadvantage compared to Klent.”

The Purple Crystal Civilization was very jealous of Klent Kingdom having Bloodshed Land as an ally.

If they had a Beyond Grade A organization as an ally as well, they would not have to spend so much effort to create Section Zero, and they would not be at such a disadvantage in the secret war.

Black Star had the potential, and he was much more motivated than the Dragon Emperor. Considering his political affiliation, the Purple Crystal Civilization felt that he was worthy of investing in.

This meeting was to discuss their attitude toward Black Star in the future. They saw longer term benefits in Han Xiao beyond this war.

Star Cluster Civilizations were not afraid of Beyond Grade As, but that did not mean that they did not want one. The various Star Cluster Civilizations in the Shattered Star Ring were all very serious in cultivating Supers. They built many schools to educate students with potential, producing talented people every year as fresh blood being supplied to the various departments.

However, they could only cultivate Calamity Grades at most. There was completely no hope in raising a Beyond Grade A. This was not something that could be created through a certain procedure.

Therefore, a Beyond Grade A seed who was close to the Purple Crystal Civilization was more than enough to make those high-level officials put down whatever they were dealing with and go for a meeting to discuss it.

“If Black Star becomes a Beyond Grade A, we can help him to build his Beyond Grade A organization into an organization that can match the Bloodshed Land. This way, Klent will no longer have this advantage. Also, this will make us more influential in the Star Field.”

“Cultivating our own Beyond Grade A ally… it’s a good idea, but Black Star will have to fulfill his potential.”

They discussed for some time and finally came to an agreement.

They would change the way they invested in Black Star, increasing the resources provided to the Black Star Army. After all, the cost of building a relationship with a Calamity Grade was incomparable to the cost of building a relationship with a Beyond Grade A. The earlier they made this investment, the smaller the cost.

Purple Crystal did not lack resources. They were willing to invest early and bet on Black Star’s potential.

At the same time, they decided to promote the Black Star Army’s position in Section Zero. They would heavily focus on Black Star’s growth and provide him with a certain amount of protection to prevent other organizations from secretly targeting him.

A Beyond Grade A seed was a new level that exceeded normal Calamity Grades. Every one of them was the focus of various organizations.

The fame brought by this fight had completely changed the Star Cluster Civilizations’ attitudes toward Han Xiao.

With people spreading the information, the news that Black Star had become a new Beyond Grade A seed quickly spread throughout the Shattered Star Ring. Countless galactic residents knew about this, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that almost everyone in the Shattered Star Ring did.

Even those Star Cluster Civilizations that had no conflict with the Purple Crystal Civilization were not willing to watch Purple Crystal obtain someone that might become a Beyond Grade A in the future. With the motive of bringing him more attention so that he would be targeted by more people, not only did they not hide their attention on Han Xiao, they deliberately leaked it.

In the process of spreading, the news was twisted again and again. In the end, it shockingly became… “Black Star will be the fifth Beyond Grade A of the Shattered Star Ring in the future”!

This was much more shocking than him being a Beyond Grade A seed. It was basically pushing Han Xiao onto the throne in advance. Countless people were stunned.

The big organizations knew that this was bullsh*t, but most people did not know the details. Under the various exaggerated reports, many people really believed in this rumor and started to spread the news that the fifth Beyond Grade A of the Shattered Star Ring was about to appear.

This news reached Floating Dragon Island as well.

Whoosh!

The alloy gate of the training room opened, and Hila walked out while wiping the sweat on her forehead.

Over the past few years while she was training on Floating Dragon Island, she had changed out of her black battle suit and gotten herself a specially tailored red windbreaker made with a special cloth. It was engraved with a high-level shield and was also enchanted to enhance her Esper ability.

If Han Xiao was there now, he would definitely feel that it looked very familiar—the design of this windbreaker was very similar to what he had worn when he was Black Phantom.

“It’s been almost three years. I’m getting more and more skilled in my ability. According to the universal standard, I’ve stabilized at Grade B. Based on my current growth, I should be able to become Grade B+ within three years. Ames said that I have the potential to become a Calamity Grade…”

Feeling more and more proficient in her Esper ability, Hila was joyous.

Ames was a master of the Esper class, so the experiences she taught her benefitted her hugely. In order to catch up to Han Xiao, Hila never slacked off.

She was satisfied with her progress—this was the result that she had earned with sweat and hard work.

“Sis, I have good news!”

Just as Hila was about to go back to rest, Aurora quickly ran to her with a face filled with joy.

“What good news?” Hila was in quite a good mood. She pinched Aurora’s tender cheeks and smiled.

“It’s about Han Xiao. Everyone is saying that he will very soon become a Beyond Grade A Super. Even the news reported this!”

Aurora raised the communicator that was playing the news right in front of Hila and could not wait to share this with Hila.

Hila was stunned.

“He’s about to become a Beyond Grade A?”

Ames was a Beyond Grade A. Did that not mean that Han Xiao was going to be as strong as Ames?

Hila clenched her teeth. She had initially been very satisfied with her progress, but now she felt like she could not catch up to Han Xiao no matter what. She felt immense pressure.

Compared to him, this progress is not worth mentioning!

I’m still not working hard enough!

Aurora was still speaking with excitement. Suddenly, she saw Hila turn around and walk into the training room, closing the door behind her. The next moment, the light showing that the training room was in use lit up.

“Sis?” Aurora was stunned.

Neither of them noticed that Ames was hovering in midair above, watching them.

“With such a strong personality, Hila will progress faster than expected.” Ames smiled.

Although she was lazy, she liked how hardworking Hila was.

Every Beyond Grade A had gone through a period of time when they worked extremely hard and built their own legend before they became a Beyond Grade A. In Hila, she felt like she saw her younger self.

As for Black Star, Ames could not understand what was going on with him at all.

As Han Xiao achieved astonishing things one time after another, Ames’ impression of him was shattered and reformed many times. At this time, she was not even willing to try to speculate Han Xiao’s potential. She had just one word for Han Xiao -unfathomable!

Ames had never thought that a mercenary whom she casually recruited would achieve the things that he had achieved.

Her requirement for Han Xiao was now as low as it could get.

As long as Black Star stayed by her, she would be satisfied.

Half of the Star Field was talking about him, and the news was exaggerated again and again, such that even Han Xiao was embarrassed by it.

Are they really talking about me?

When did I fight Tyrant to a draw?

When did I chase Ames?

When did I make the announcement to challenge the Crimson Dynasty?

When did I chat casually with Austin as if we’re friends… Oh, this is actually true.

Han Xiao was completely speechless.

Don’t these reporters know that they have to be responsible for these things they say?

After returning to the Garton Star System base, he finally felt the effect of this matter.

The Godoran Civilization’s attitude changed visibly. They were much more respectful and actively suggested to extend their partnership, as well as open up more resource channels to provide him more rare resources.

Han Xiao even heard that Serbia the Fifth was preparing to tour the Star System and would be going to Planet Golden Gate first to visit him publicly.

The resources given by the Purple Crystal Civilization to make up for his losses had arrived at the base. Just the cash was already more than ten million Enaus, much more than what the Purple Crystal Civilization had promised. The quantity of resources had also multiplied. This was a completely pleasant surprise.

Han Xiao tutted. He knew that what he had done was sensational, but he had underestimated how sensational it would be. It was crystal clear how much more serious the Purple Crystal Civilization was about him.

This sped up the plan that he had made before the war started.

He quickly told Phillip, Herlous, and Sylvia to settle the matters on replenishing the lost battleships and people before going to the training room. He took out the communicator and opened the data that the Purple Crystal sent to him on (Abnormal State Energy).

When I finish learning this knowledge, I will be many times stronger. My Mechanical Armies being wiped out is a good opportunity to renew them completely.

Excited, Han Xiao opened his interface.

Mechanic class Cutting-Edge Knowledge (Abnormal State Energy] detected. Spend 12 Potential Points to learn?

“Yes.”

Learning in progress. Do not cancel.

9%… 43%… 78%…

Successfully Learned! You have learned (Abnormal State Energy]!

Complex and difficult knowledge flew into Han Xiao’s head. He digested it for a while and took a deep breath.

Of course, him telling Ralph that he needed a whole month to learn was bullsh*t. The others had no way to know that he could learn things so quickly.

Finally, I have my first Cutting-Edge Knowledge.

Han Xiao was content. He achieved the Class Advancement requirement at the same time.

A notification popped up on the interface immediately.

Class Advancement requirements completed!

You have received a new class (Truth Mechanic Level1).

+210 Energy, +2 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +4 Endurance, +10 Intelligence.

You have received 7 Free Attribute Points.

You have received 1 Potential Point.

I did it!

Han Xiao was overjoyed.

[Truth Mechanic] was a high-level class in the Mechanic class, one level higher than (Galaxy Mechanic). Its level limit was twenty-five.

The name represented the fact that the Mechanic would start to learn the truths about machines in this stage.

However, to the players in his previous life, this name had another meaning.

Within my attack range, I’m the truth!

Chapter 662 Multiplied Strength

Han Xiao calmed his mood and looked at the new abilities given by the Class Advancement.

You have received talent (Machinery Truth Knowledge)!

You have acquired ability (Extreme Energy Output)

You have acquired ability (Logic Program Strengthening)!

You have acquired ability (Deep Data Implantation]

Your talent (Virtual Technology Essence] has been enhanced!

Your ability (Strengthened Smart Defense) has been enhanced!

Your ability (Strengthened Hacking) has been enhanced!

Your ability (Quantum Network Matrix) has been enhanced!

Han Xiao nodded.

After choosing Virtual Technology Essence, each subsequent Class Advancement would enhance the Virtual Technology abilities and talents. Several important abilities of the Virtual Mechanic were strengthened, and there were two new virtual technology abilities.

The effect of [Logic Program Strengthening] was to carry out multiple upgrades for artificial intelligence to improve their calculation efficiency.

Artificial intelligence was an important helper in both virtual attack and defense. The higher the level of artificial intelligence, the higher the success rate.

This ability could be used to strengthen Phillip. After all, Risda was an independent life. Phillip was still the most loyal and adorable.

[Deep Data Implantation] strengthened his latent intrusion ability. This ability allowed one to not attack the firewall but spend time finding holes and gaps before quietly sending disguised data packets into the target’s artificial intelligence program, not causing any alarms.

This ability was not useful in direct battles because it would take a long time. However, it was perfectly suited for covert operations. The data packets could be hiding deep inside the enemy’s artificial intelligence like probes that penetrated the bottom of the ocean. They could detect the movements of ‘currents’, filtering out useful intelligence. They could also act as a time bomb.

At the same time, they could even dive into the bottom data layer of the target artificial intelligence, embed new logic, and secretly makes it betray its master.

In addition to the improvement of some abilities, this Class Advancement gave him two new important abilities.

Truth Mechanics were famous for their high damage. Their specialty was turning mechanical soldiers into elites and enhancing the attributes of the machines.

[Machinery Truth Knowledge] was the core talent of the Truth Mechanic. It blended the truth about machines into manufacture. This would comprehensively strengthen the machinery’s armor, defense, energy core, weapon power, range, and other attributes.

The degree of increase in each attribute varied from forty percent to fifteen percent. In summary, the strength increase of a single mechanical object was considerable. His manufacturing ability was greatly increased.

[Extreme Energy Output) increased the output efficiency of the energy core. This was similar to expanding the mouth of the container to make water flow faster.

It increased the power of the weapon based on the level of energy used, and the higher the level of energy used, the higher the damage bonus.

According to Han Xiao’s experience, using a cold nuclear reactor could increase the damage of a weapon by about eleven percent, while using psionic energy could increase its damage by twenty-five to thirty percent.

The power of the psionic energy itself would already increase its damage. With the addition of these two abilities, it could increase his destructive power by several notches.

The strength increase from this Class Advancement is even greater than the last. The basic attributes of mechanical structures are very important. Even if it’s just increased by a little bit, my Mechanical Force bonus will amplify it. The Truth Mechanic is a significant milestone. With the increase of so many attributes as well as my Mechanical Force bonuses, this means that with the same sized Mechanical Army, my combat capability will be many times stronger now compared to before the Class Advancement!

Han Xiao was satisfied. After the Class Advancement, the threat of his Mechanical Army would be tremendously higher to Calamity Grades. Thus, his combat capability was increased as all.

At the higher stages of the main class, the benefits of Class Advancements would be increasing. The current level was twenty-five, five levels above the Promotion limit. This meant that the Class Advancement was even more difficult than Promotion.

With a large pool of experience, Han Xiao did not blink and fully leveled up his new abilities as well as leveled himself up to level 180.

[Truth Mechanic) leveled up to Level11.

+210 Energy, +2 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +4 Endurance, +10 Intelligence.

You have received 6 Free Attribute Points and 1 Potential Point.

As always, he used the Free Attribute Points on Intelligence.

The leveling up of himself and his abilities brought Han Xiao thirteen Potential Points. He then leveled up a few blueprints to gain a few points. Together with his original savings, Han Xiao directly leveled up the Cutting-Edge Knowledge [Abnormal State Energy) to Level4. Each level cost him twelve Potential Points. His Potential Points were instantly emptied.

The higher the level of the core knowledge, the better. This would affect the attributes of the Mechanical Army that he was about the rebuild. These were Potential Points that would be spent sooner or later, so Han Xiao had no hesitation. Anyway, he had a lot of Experience, so he could get Potential Points from leveling up blueprints. Even though the triple cost hurt, he could still bear it.

His total level reached 180, which was the Promotion stage, and the Promotion mission arrived on schedule.

Level 180 class advancement mission (The Ultimate Trial]: Push through one’s limits during battle, ascend the hierarchy of life.

Mission Requirements: Acquire 50 Trial Points, current progress: 0/50. The Trial Points are obtained by defeating the opponent, the opponent must be Super of the same rank. 2 Trial Points will be earned by winning. A maximum of 4 Trial Points can be obtained from one person. If the opponent is 5 levels lower than you, you will not be able to get Trial Points. If your opponent is 20 or more levels higher than you, you will get 6 Trial Points after winning. The same target cannot be repeated.

Han Xiao’s face turned into delight.

When he was level 60, he had triggered a similar trial-type Promotion mission. This kind of mission was not difficult and would not cause his level to get stuck.

The mission requirement was to fight Supers of the same grade, Calamity Grade. Trial Points would be given after a victory, which meant that sparring would do. Thus, there was no need to kill the opponent.

For players, this task would be a bit tricky. They would have to look for Calamity Grade NPCs everywhere. Even if they did find one and requested to spar, it would still depend on whether that person wanted to fight the player. If the player attacked directly, it would anger the opponent’s faction or organization.

Players would have to spend almost all their time looking for opponents. Sometimes, they would not even be able to win. However, to Han Xiao, this was not an issue at all.

With his network and connections in the Shattered Star Ring, it was way too easy to find someone to spar with.

The Black Star Army alone already had two Grade As. With Lagi’s personality, he would most likely not use his full strength, so those six Trail Points were basically guaranteed. Sadly, Reynold’s level was much lower than his, or he would be able to get four more points.

I’m now level 180, not too high in Grade A. It’s easy to find an opponent…

Level 180 meant his fourth Race Evolution. He had consumed the essence potions of quite a number of void creatures, even the core of a Void Lord. He should be able to get many strong options during the Race Evolution.

Since the Promotion mission was not difficult, Han Xiao was in no hurry. He had to at least rebuild his Mechanical Army before finding people to spar with. The Mechanical Army was his main source of combat capability.

After looking at the new abilities for a while, Han Xiao opened the interface and looked at his attributes.

Level: 180

Main Class: Mechanic

Race: Chaos Observer (Human Form)

Attributes: 306 Strength, 674 Dexterity, 670 Endurance, 2126 Intelligence, 263 Mystery, 105 Charisma, 1 Luck

Free Attribute Points: 0

Potential Point: 0

Health: 125,390

Stamina: 101,620

Energy: 19,680 (Level11)

Level11 Energy bonus stats: +111 Strength, +158 Dexterity, +174 Endurance, +204 Intelligence, +129 Mystery, +21,220 Stamina Limit, +142% Machinery Affinity

Energy Rank: 17,810

Grade: A

Grade A Ranked Bonus: Additional Bonus to Endurance +10, All Resistances +8. Highest Stat(s) +10%, Other Stats +5%, Additional 30 Free Attribute Points, Additional 5 Potential Points

Remark: You’re not far from the Grade A+ threshold. Although, your actual strength is already not weaker than some Grade A+ Supers

Due to the Advanced Strengthened Life talent, Han Xiao’s energy level was already around 16,000. With the new abilities and ten more levels, his energy rank increased again.

By the time I complete the Promotion mission, my Experience will be more than enough to level up Truth Mechanic to its highest, which will make me level 195. Plus, with the bonus from Race Evolution, I should be able to reach Grade A+.

He told Herlous and the rest to take care of the Black Star Army businesses while he started to rebuild the Mechanical Army. He was eager to see how strong his Mechanical Army would be after his Class Advancement.

The first step of rebuilding was extracting new energy and building a psionic reactor.

The psionic energy was a highly unstable high-level energy. Usually, only Star Cluster Civilizations would study psionic energy because it was very risky. If a civilization studied it without advanced enough technology, if the psionic energy went out of control, an entire planet surface civilization might be destroyed.

The earliest civilization to discover psionic energy was the Federation of Light. In the field of research and development, the Federation of Light had always been ahead. Long before the appearance of Beyond Grade As, psionic energy had been used in the war between the three civilizations.

The earliest discovery of psionic energy was when the Federation of Light was studying a certain spacetime project. During an experiment that involved collapsing secondary spaces, they happened to find out that a huge amount of matter shattered during the collapse turned into a special type of energy, thus the discovery of psionic energy.

After a long period of study, the three civilizations gradually gained a clearer understanding of psionic energy.

This was very high-level energy. It came from secondary spatial collapse. It could assimilate most of the forms of energy around it, such as heat, electricity, and so on, all of which would be turned into psionic energy. That energy would all be condensed together with a very low loss of energy during the assimilation. This reaction was called ‘Psionic Inflation’.

As the cost of the spatial collapse was too high to be popularized, based on this trait, the three civilizations extracted primordial psionic particles from space collapse experiments and developed a storage technology that put the primordial psionic particles to sleep. This inhibited natural Psionic Inflation, they then began to try mass applications.

There were failures during their experiments. Once the psionic energy went out of control and was exposed to the outside world, it became a black hole like energy, constantly absorbing all forms of energy around it. The converted energy all became psionic energy, which caused the Psionic Inflation to keep occurring and creating a radioactive reaction called Psionic Pollution. When the primordial psionic particles decayed to the critical point, the huge explosion happened. A tiny bit of the primordial pyloric particle could almost flatten a small half of a planet, destroying the surface civilization.

After a long period of research into psionic energy, the three civilizations finally worked out a highly efficient and controllable psionic reaction furnace that was far more efficient than nuclear fusion. However, due to fear of psionic energy’s power when it lost control, it was not widely used in the early period.

After extensive studies, the three civilizations discovered another feature of the psionic energy-it could not only assimilate but also be inverted into various forms of energy. As psionic was created from spatial collapse, some thought that the psionic was the initial or final form of energy, that it was the so-called ‘universal energy’.

The research on the psionic energy was still underway, and there were thousands of hypotheses and studies. The three civilizations had improved the collection methods and refining formulas many times. Psionic energy had become an efficient and controllable higher-level energy source, also a necessary technology for the Mechanic class.

As a Calamity Grade Mechanic, after learning [Abnormal State Energy), Han Xiao was able to extract primordial psionic particles safely.

Chapter 663 Psionic Core, War Situation

Four thin mechanical poles formed an ‘X’ shape and secured the mini sphere-shaped reactor in the middle.

The sphere-shaped reactor was the size of a fist. It was completely silver with the surface of the ball being smooth and shiny, reflecting Han Xiao’s suave appearance.

“The small psionic reactor is of light purple grade, and its efficiency is many times that of the cold nuclear fission reactor.”

Han Xiao looked at the psionic reactor and heaved a sigh of relief.

He had used (Abnormal State Energy) to roll blueprints and received the blueprint for a large number of psionic machines. He first constructed a complete set of psionic extraction apparatus and tested it many times before carefully refining a psionic particle. Following which, the particles were melded together, and he used a few days of testing before finally being able to construct a psionic energy furnace.

Because psionic energy had some risk, Han Xiao only dared speed up the production process after ensuring the stability of every step.

After observing the results of the test, Han Xiao plucked off a compressed orb from his necklace and threw it to the side.

A bolt of Mechanical Force shot toward the compressed orb and activated it. In the blink of an eye, the compressed orb transformed into the Berserk Ape mechanical suit. This was the backup suit in the warehouse. His original one had already been destroyed by the eight Vanguard Officials.

“Phillip, maintain standby mode and eject the energy core.”

“Orders confirmed, hum…’

The Berserk Ape mechanical suit raised its head and stood up straight. The chest piece of the mechanical suit then opened to reveal the interior construction of the mechanical suit.

Kacha!

A dense energy reactor was ejected from the chest of the mechanical suit. It was glowing red as though it was the heart of the mechanical suit.

Han Xiao removed the nuclear reactor and placed it to the side. He then took the psionic reactor and stuffed it back into the empty slot.

Hum!

A humming sound could be heard, and the psionic reactor lit up. A bright blue glow could be seen from the reactor, and the glow spread through the entire suit. The mechanical suit then automatically retracted the reactor and began adapting to the new reactor.

The energy furnace got to work and provided an endless stream of psionic energy. With the energy furnace as the core, blue veins spread out in all directions on the surface of the Berserk Ape suit and covered the entire suit. These blue veins lit up for a short while before becoming dull and flashing for more than ten seconds before coming to a stop.

“The update of the energy reactor is complete. The mechanical suit is functioning perfectly, hum…” Phillip said in a merry tone as though he was a little child.

While he was constructing the psionic energy furnace, Han Xiao had also upgraded Phillip’s program with his newly acquired Logic Program Strengthening. Apart from increasing Phillip’s processing efficiency, Phillip had also downloaded an emotion module and now seemed more energetic. Not only that, he had even chosen to replace his voice with the voice of a little boy.

Looking at the equipment introduction on the interface, the Power Output of the Berserk Ape was three times that of the original figure, and more modules could be installed. The mechanical suit’s original energy level of just over 20,000 had increased to 57,000, more than two times the original!

With such a large jump in attributes, it could be seen just how important Cutting-Edge Knowledge was.

Han Xiao released Mechanical Force from his palms and connected to the Berserk Ape suit. The next moment, the Berserk Ape suit rapidly covered his entire body, and the equipping process only took an instant.

With a single thought, the arm of the mechanical suit transformed into an exquisite cannon barrel, and Han Xiao aimed at an alloy wall used to test weapons.

After the energy furnace was replaced with a psionic energy reactor, the weapons of the Berserk Ape suit had also been upgraded to become psionic weapons. After adjusting the canon to burst mode, Han Xiao fired without hesitation.

Bang!

A crisp sound could be heard, and a blue light pulse was shot out from the canon. The light pulse rapidly expanded as it traveled through the air and exploded when it came into contact with the target.

A blinding light flashed by.

Boom!

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, and when he took a look at the wall again, the entire alloy wall had been reduced to rubble with dust floating in the air.

“Not bad.” Han Xiao was overjoyed.

Psionic energy truly lived up to its reputation. Just changing a single energy furnace had resulted in such a huge increase in strength. Of course, there was also the effect of the [Extreme Energy Output).

Because primal psionic energy was not stable, an ordinary psionic weapon would only be able to use the ‘dormant’ psionic energy being produced from a psionic reactor. Before the psionic energy was activated, it would not expand.

Only the strategic class weapons between civilizations would pursue the pure destructive force of primal psionic energy. However, psionic weapons that were extremely destructive were heavily restricted. If a civilization made use of such a weapon, Star Cluster civilizations or the three great civilizations would investigate the matter. After all, no one wanted to see a planet within their territory getting flattened by a weapon.

All civilizations were extremely wary of Mechanics who had grasped psionic energy. It did not matter if they wanted to be a litterbug. However, they could not choose to freely throw psionic energy around.

Han Xiao still was not able to refine something like a Planetary Destroyer. His level, Intelligence, and knowledge were not sufficient at the moment. He would only be able to do so after reaching the level of Manison from the [Mechanic Empire). This was also a specialty of a beyond Grade A Super.

Han Xiao then tested the piercing, fully automatic, and other modes of the psionic canon before testing the shield module of the Berserk Ape suit.

Because of the new energy furnace, the shield had also transformed into a psionic shield. The original appearance of the nuclear shield was a half-transparent mirror-like shield glowing either yellow or blue.

As for the psionic shield, its exterior was like a bubble with two thirds of it being transparent and colorless. Outside the colorless region, the shield was blue in color, gradually turning darker toward the outside. The entire shield was more circular and not as angular as before, with the durability of the shield being greatly enhanced.

At the same time, because of the assimilation property of psionic energy, the psionic shield would absorb a small amount of damage when being struck to replenish the durability of the shield, allowing it to last longer. The psionic shield also came with the ability to perform a short-ranged charge. Han Xiao activated his psionic shield and charged straight at the alloy wall. The alloy wall caved in immediately like soft soil, leaving behind a circular dent.

At the instant of the collision, the durability of the shield fell slightly and transformed into kinetic force to increase the damage.

Even if an ordinary individual covered his fist with the psionic shield and punched normally, they would easily be able to bend a metal pole. This was an important method for a Mechanic to deal with close combat fights.

“Right, I think the psionic reactor has an Additional Ability.”

Han Xiao then raised his palm and controlled the energy supplied by the furnace to his palm. With a shake of his wrist, a psionic energy ball floated on top of his palm. It was currently in a dormant state and was extremely stable.

He then pressed the psionic energy ball onto the alloy wall, and the next moment, the entire alloy wall shook, and cracks could be seen spreading out from the surface of the wall.

“Indeed, a psionic mechanical suit can directly release psionic energy.”

Han Xiao was extremely satisfied with the results of his test. Directly releasing energy was a very handy skill. Not only would it increase his close combat abilities, it would also allow him to use it in various complicated ways.

After testing the various skills, Han Xiao began to upgrade his machines. The first one that he upgraded with his Berserk Ape suit.

The Berserk Ape suit had been constructed when he was around level 140, and now that his skills had been upgraded, it was time to improve the suit. Han Xiao was prepared to perform an all-round upgrade for the Berserk Ape suit so that it could keep up to his current level and become his core weapon.

The reconstruction of his Mechanical Army was also taking place at the same time. Han Xiao refined a large number of psionic energy particles as the core material and invested a large amount of experience to form a mini psionic energy furnace assembly line.

Apart from that, as Han Xiao’s level increased, more high-level blueprints were also unlocked. Han Xiao gambled for some new machines and weapons before constructing their new assembly lines. Very quickly, new batches of high-grade machines came out fresh from the oven.

The Black Star Army’s military factory was clearly demarcated into two different sections. The purpose of the logistics factory that Reynold oversaw was mainly to provide for the entire army, and it produced common equipment. Han Xiao’s military factory was for his personal use, and all the equipment produced was top quality. Regardless of production speed or quality, it far exceeded the logistics factory.

To date, Han Xiao had only lent the factory to Reynold. It could be said that only a Calamity Grade Super would be allowed to use his personal factory.

The assembly line that Han Xiao had personally constructed enjoyed his personal stat boost. His new talent, [Machinery Truth Knowledge), greatly increased the attributes of the products in his factory. Currently, the cannon fodder mechanical soldiers had attributes no lower than the elite soldiers of his army before his Class Advancement.

At his level, he had almost maxed out the production speed of his assembly line. As long as he was willing to spend money, he would be able to construct a new army within a short time!

Han Xiao spent money like water, and in a short month’s time, he completed the reconstruction of his Mechanical Army. Its size was even greater than before his Class Advancement, and the number of soldiers that he had was over a million!

The serial number of his ordinary army reached ‘016’, and he had six elite army units that were numbered from ‘101’ to ‘106’, making a total of twenty-two Army Boxes.

He truly could do as he wished if he was rich!

…

In the past month, Bloodshed Land had steadily advanced, and the other two vanguard forces had also revealed themselves and invaded two other Star Systems on the border.

By this point, Bloodshed Land’s target was extremely clear. They wanted to occupy West Wind, Kaya, and Chaida, the three Star Systems on the border.

Bloodshed Land intentionally fragmented the battlefield up into many different regions, and Section Zero invested all their members into the war to launch a counterattack in the three Star Systems. However, under the ferocious assault of Bloodshed Land, Section Zero was on the losing end.

The situation in Kaya and Chaida was slightly better than the battlefield in West Wind, which was the most dangerous. The eight Vanguard Officials had gathered together, resulting in the high-level combatants of Section Zero choosing to avoid battle. They were not able to stop Bloodshed Land’s advancement, and the enemy had already set up bases on six different planets.

As they captured more planets, Bloodshed Land began to gradually reduce the speed of their advancement. The military forces of the vanguard army were limited. After leaving behind soldiers to guard the captured planets, the number of soldiers that they could mobilize greatly decreased. After the many battles, the vanguard army also suffered considerable losses. However, the vanguard army brought along their own logistics factory and began constructing battleships on the spot to replenish their losses.

The mission of the vanguard army was only to set up a bridgehead for their main army. They took just a month to complete the mission, and after that, they stopped their advancement and waited for the arrival of the main army.

The main army naturally would not cross the barren cosmic belt slowly like the vanguard army did. Klent had already made preparations before the battle to stealthily set up a transit station in the barren cosmic belt. They used their Star Cluster level skills to construct a stable stargate so that the transportation of reinforcements and resources would take considerably less time.

Klent’s transit station was hidden within the barren cosmic belt. While the Purple Crystal Civilization did not know of its exact location, they were aware of its existence.

On the base that they had set up, the vanguard army had also brought the spare parts and Klent’s technological staff to set up a stargate. The moment the construction was complete, their logistical issue would not be a problem, and they would be able to receive a never-ending supply of reinforcements.

Even if the Purple Crystal Civilization understood what Klent’s strategy was, they did not have the strength to stop it. After the vanguard army constructed a few strongholds, they immediately set up a Military Orbit Quantum Leap Station to connect all their strongholds to reinforce each other.

The moment one of their strongholds was under attack, the other strongholds would be able to send reinforcements.

In order to deal with the Mutation Disaster, Godora had once used the Military Orbit Quantum Leap Station. This was Star Cluster level strategic equipment that was commonly used in galactic wars. Godora had also bought it from a Star Cluster level civilization.

Section Zero had tried to destroy the stargate multiple times with all their attempts ending in failure. Only then did they change their strategy so as to not waste their soldiers. They had changed their strategy with the main focus being to harass their enemy.

Purple Crystal invested a large amount of resources to allow the members of Section Zero to expand their fleets and replenish their troops.

Despite Ralph not mentioning it, it was obvious that Section Zero had decided to take his advice.

With the resources and production capabilities of a Star Cluster Civilization, as long as Bloodshed Land completed the construction of the stargate, this war would end up becoming a long war. Both parties would be able to replenish their armies without end and dump a never-ending supply of resources into the war.

While soldiers would die, the battleships would never be used up.

Both parties’ ability to fight the war for ten years was because they had a hefty accumulation of resources. Fighting a war required money, and both parties were competing in production capabilities.

After not participating in the war for a month, the current situation of the secret war did not have much to do with Han Xiao. He reconstructed his Mechanical Army and continued to expand his army. The first batch of resources that the Purple Crystal Civilization had given him had been used up. A full 10,000,000 Enaus had been used up, and he even had to take out some money from his own savings.

After spending such a large sum of money, the Black Star Army had constructed more than a hundred new battleships and hired a new batch of mercenaries.

Fighting a war burnt a lot of money. If he did not participate in the secret war, Han Xiao would not have received the support from a Star Cluster Civilization.

After skiving and preparing for a month, Han Xiao was prepared to complete his Promotion mission before returning to the battlefield.

Farming faction contribution was still useful as Purple Crystal still had a few Cutting-Edge Knowledges that he had not learned.

Han Xiao wanted to fight Lagi to exchange pointers, but a few uninvited guests showed up at his base.

Chapter 664 Lagi’s Past, Creeping Evil

After the start of the secret war, the Black Star Army had conducted several additional recruitments. The seedlings of the training camp had matured, and many freelance mercenaries had also been recruited. The Black Star Army had supplemented its new blood, with the number of official mercenaries exceeding 200,000. The number of personnel stationed at Base No.1 was ample.

Three masked Mages in dark hooded robes walked into the hall of Base No.1, drawing the eyes of many mercenaries along the way. The Hidden Red Robe Abbey was known by the entire Star Field. ‘Magus’ Austin’s Forbidden Sorcerers were very famous and instantly recognizable.

Why are Austin’s people visiting the captain?

Quite a few people knew that the captain was the Dragon Emperor’s officer. Upon seeing that Han Xiao was in contact with another Beyond Grade A, they could not help but wonder.

The three Forbidden Sorcerers arrived in the reception room, where they saw Han Xiao and nodded politely.

Han Xiao waved his hand and asked Sylvia to get the hell back to studying. He then looked at the three people and asked, “Austin’s Forbidden Sorcerers, what is this about?”

The short Forbidden Sorcerer in the middle, Desoro, was the leader of the three. He gave a simple self-introduction and then cut to the chase.

“The Magus ordered us to find someone, one of your subordinates. We’re here to bring him back.”

Han Xiao was dumbfounded. This surprised him. “Are you talking about Lagi?” Of all the officers, only Lagi had an unknown origin. Plus, he was a Grade A+ Mage, so he had the highest chance of being the target of these three people.

“Yes, his full name is called Lagi Schwer. He worked under the Magus before.” Desoro’s tone was calm. His statement was ambiguous, and it seemed like he did not want to give the details.

Han Xiao was secretly surprised. Lagi had been imprisoned for ten years, and no one had rescued him. Now that he had escaped, Austin’s people had come looking for him right away.

Although he clearly knew that Austin would not be so despicable, it did feel a little annoying.

He thought about it and realized that it was odd. If Lagi was Austin’s subordinate, how could he have been caught so easily? Lagi seemed like a lone ranger before getting caught, and if it was true, it meant that he had been removed from Austin’s forces. So, why would Austin send people to get Lagi back?

“Why are you bringing him back?” Han Xiao asked.

Shaking his head, Desoro refused to answer, saying, “This is the order of the Magus. We just execute it.”

Han narrowed his eyes and asked, “What if I refuse?”

Desoro’s voice was calm and unshaken. “The Magus said that you owe him a favor and will give him face.”

Han Xiao’s mouth twitched. He was one to give in to the soft approach instead of the hard approach. During the Tyrant’s party, Austin had given him the core of a Void Lord without any reason, so he did indeed owe him a favor. There were indeed no free lunches in the world.

Now, Han Xiao would be out of his mind to fall out with Austin, who had a good relationship with him. Moreover, he had once received a gift from him, so he really could not refuse. After all, relationships were mutual—A helped B, so B should help A in the future within the range of B’s ability. Otherwise, it would be easy to bury the relationship that took effort to establish.

Only, Han Xiao was still a bit reluctant. Lagi was the second strongest combatant in the Black Star Army, second only to Han Xiao himself. If he left, the high-level combatant standard would fall drastically.

After a moment of consideration, Han Xiao came up with an excuse and said, “Us discussing where he will be going is actually meaningless. I think it is necessary to ask him for his opinion. If he wishes to go back with you, I will, of course, not force him to stay. If he does not want to go, I won’t be able to do anything about it.”

“Okay.” Desoro nodded and had no objection.

In fact, on the way, Desoro had envisaged many situations. If Black Star used all sorts of excuses to obstruct him and not even give face to Austin, he would not exclude the possibility of having to take Lagi away by force.

He did not expect that Black Star would suddenly become a Beyond Grade A seed with a history of fighting eight Calamity Grades at once. This had shocked him.

Clearly knowing that he was miles away from being able to do something like that, Desoro feared Black Star. Black Star had shown that he had the potential to become a Beyond Grade A. Although Austin had Desoro’s back, it would not be a good idea for him to establish a bad relationship with Black Star, hence his rather friendly behavior.

Han Xiao sent Lagi a message. After a while, Lagi pushed open the door and walked in while complaining.

“Is there another dangerous mission? I’m telling you, I will die sooner or later if you keep sending me to these… hmm?”

Lagi walked in and saw the three Forbidden Sorcerers. His complaining stopped, and his expression collapsed. He muttered, “No wonder I kept getting distracted during yesterday’s meditation. Something bad is indeed happening today. Sigh…”

A tint of coldness flashed across Desoro’s eyes as he said in an indifferent tone, “It’s been a long time, Lagi.”

“Can you pretend you didn’t see me?” Lagi’s face was bitter.

“What do you think?” Desoro replied.

With no alternative, Lagi looked at Han Xiao with grief and sorrow.

Han Xiao’s eyes twitched. “Don’t look at me like this. They came to me and said that they’re going to take you back. So, you used to be Austin’s subordinate. Why didn’t you tell me? Him and I are quite close.”

“How would I know that you knew Austin?” Lagi asked with an aggrieved expression.

Being Austin’s subordinate before was an amazing record and would get him a very high position in the majority of organizations. Lagi did not tell Han Xiao because he wanted to remain low key. Moreover, he felt that Black Star and Austin should have nothing to do with each other. He never expected that Han Xiao and Austin had talked and laughed together before.

“You don’t seem to want to see Austin’s people.” Han Xiao frowned slightly. “There’s no need to hide your past now. Tell me.”

Desoro glanced and Han Xiao and did not say anything to stop him.

Lagi sighed and had a sad expression on his face as if he did not want to get into it. Han Xiao almost wanted to give him a cigarette so that it would match his expression and the atmosphere.

“Alright, I’ll tell you. Decades ago, I was the Hidden Red Robe Abbey’s Forbidden Sorcerer commander, the fourth disciple of Magus Austin.”

Han Xiao’s eyes immediately widened.

Holy… you’re quite someone, aren’t you?

The position of the Forbidden Sorcerer commander was roughly equivalent to the chief Vanguard Official under the Tyrant. The fourth disciple meant that he was one of Austin’s protégés. These two titles added together, and Lagi’s position in the past was basically Austin’s right-hand man.

Lagi waved his hands with that same sad, reluctant expression. “However, afterward, I made a mistake, and Austin kicked me out of the Hidden Red Robe Abbey. I left Austin, became a Lone Ranger, and then I was caught. You saved me, and then you know the

rest.”

Han Xiao was shocked. With Lagi’s position, what big mistake could he have made to cause Austin to chase him away?

At this point, Desoro coughed and said, “Your Excellency Black Star, it’s better if you don’t know.”

Han Xiao’s eyes moved but became more curious. He then turned his head and saw that Lagi’s expression had become incredibly forlorn, as if he suddenly had stubble on his face.

“Alas, everyone has been young and wild before. Magus really is a good man. It’s a miracle that I could live till now,” Lagi said with a nostalgic tone.

Han Xiao’s mouth twitched. It was very difficult for him to imagine Lagi being young and wild. It felt like a man with this name was born with a languid aura. He could not associate him with the adjectives ‘young’ and ‘wild’ at all.

“Alright, let’s get back to the point. I respect your opinion. If you want to go back with him, I won’t stop you, but if you want to stay, I’ll help you refuse them.”

Desoro’s brows furrowed. He thought for a moment and did not speak.

He rubbed his face and sighed. “I’ll go back with you.”

Desoro heaved a sigh of relief. Luckily, Lagi read the room, so he did not have to fall out with Black Star.

He turned to Han Xiao and said, “Your Excellency Black Star, he’s willing to come with us. Please abide by our agreement.”

“Alright then.”

Han Xiao sighed in his mind. Lagi was a great aid who had been difficult to acquire, and now he was leaving him. It felt like a neighbor reaching out to his vegetable field and pulling a high quality, emerald-like leek.

This time, Lagi suddenly opened his mouth and spoke with a very serious tone.

“Black Star, you saved me. Don’t doubt my belief of doing things for you. I’m going back to make it clear to Austin. Otherwise, they won’t give up, and I don’t want to cause you trouble…”

After hearing this, Han Xiao immediately felt that he was wrong about Lagi. The little discontentment in his heart disappeared instantly. He was even a little touched.

as eve

Wow, you’re actually quite reliable. Saving you definitely wasn’t meaningless.

Then, Lagi returned to his original tone and became indolent, muttering, “You can’t beat Austin anyway. There’s no use even if I do refuse. Me going back with them is good for everyone. Sigh…”

What? That’s not false at all!

Han Xiao could not help but ask Desoro, “What was Austin thinking, appointing him as the commander of the Forbidden Sorcerers? Is he not worried that all the Forbidden Sorcerers will become depression patients under his lead?”

“Er… he wasn’t like this in the past.” Desoro’s tone was awkward.

They exchanged a few more polite lines. Then, Desoro stood up and said, “My mission is complete. I shall bring him back now.”

Han Xiao was just about to nod but suddenly remembered something and hurriedly stopped the bunch of them who were about to walk out.

“Wait a minute. I need your help with something.”

Desoro looked back and wondered, “Please, do tell.”

“Er… I would like to spar with you guys,” Han Xiao said.

Including Lagi, there were four strong people in front of him, who should all be twenty or more levels higher than him. This was a good opportunity to do the Promotion mission. If he beat all of them, it would give him twenty-four Trial Points, directly completing half of the mission progress. An opportunity like this would not come again once it was gone, so even though it was sudden, Han Xiao still asked for it.

As expected, Desoro and others all felt bewildered and confused.

Why is Black Star suddenly making this request?

Desoro was dumbfounded for a few seconds before he remembered to answer.

“Er… why is that?”

“When I see a formidable opponent, I can’t help but want to fight with him. The Forbidden Sorcerers are very famous, so I want to experience your strength and test my new weapon while doing so.” Han Xiao quickly made up a reason.

“Er…” Desoro was still hesitant.

Han Xiao clenched his teeth and took out the most promising trump card.

“Play a little bit. You’re here anyway…”

It was indeed the most promising trump card. Once used, Desoro did not know how to refuse.

Originally, he just wanted to take Lagi back and finish the mission early.

However, now that he had been invited to a fight, he suddenly became interested in a contest!

People had been saying that Black Star was a Beyond Grade A seed. Only a few dozen people in the entire Star Field had that honor.

Although Desoro was just an officer of a Beyond Grade A Super, he too dreamed of becoming a Beyond Grade A.

Desoro wanted to measure what made a Beyond Grade A seed so exceptional and see how big the difference in their strength was.

Thinking about that, Desoro stopped hesitating and became eager. He stared at Han Xiao and said, “Okay, you pick the place.”

Hearing Desoro’s response, Han Xiao had a humble smile of a farmer on his face. The way he looked at Desoro and the others was like looking at a few walking leeks.

“By the way, I want to spar with you too.” Han Xiao pointed to Lagi, who thought he had nothing to do with it.

Lagi’s face turned bitter, and he muttered, “I see, so this is where I get ‘accidentally’ killed during a spar…”

Meanwhile, on Planet Aquamarine…

“So, this is Black Star’s home…”

A spacecraft in stealth mode was suspended in outer space. Through the porthole, Stephanie looked over at the azure star, smiling.

“Albert was such a fool. There’s a glaring weakness, but he didn’t know how to exploit it…”

Chapter 665 Thrashed

Three years ago, when the Mutation Disaster ended, all sorts of galactic financial groups followed Black Star and invested in Planet Aquamarine, which was nominally a Floating Dragon territory. The long-standing technological bottleneck had easily been broken as interstellar knowledge poured in, and the stalled progress of the civilization began to grow rapidly.

No one had forgotten the significance of Han Xiao’s actions. In commemoration of the person that changed the fate of this planet, Bennett had led the effort to build a city named after Han Xiao based on Black Phantom Sanctuary.

That was Black Star City.

The survivors in the sanctuary became the residents, and countless people from the Six Nations moved to this city. Now, the budding Black Star City was the most popular city on Planet Aquamarine. The center of the city was the base of the Black Star Army. The tall, square-point tower pointed directly to the sky, with a huge Black Star Army sign carved on the tower’s body. The height of the buildings decreased from the center of the city to the edge. The overhead electric rail bridges crisscrossed, where the magnetically suspended trains shuttled continuously. The lights were bright both in the day and at night.

The galactic financial groups had come for Black Star and Floating Dragon, so Black Star City received the most investments. The technological level of this city was the highest on Planet Aquamarine. The capitals of the Six Nations were like the countryside in comparison. Black Star City was the ‘city of the future’ on Planet Aquamarine.

Although the treaties laid down by the three major civilizations contained rules that forbade interfering with the progress of low-level civilizations, these were primarily aimed at protecting the low-level civilization from being violated. If they were supporting their development, as long as the region’s governing civilization did not mind, no one would make any trouble. Of course, Godora would not prevent Han Xiao from rebuilding his homeland.

Under the protection of Han Xiao, the Six Nations were thriving, developing technology, supporting people’s livelihoods, and restoring the environment. Compared to three years prior, Planet Aquamarine had changed dramatically. With Han Xiao’s approval, Bennett had also changed the purpose of the organization and formed a new political system with Black Star City as the capital, forming the seventh nation in the world. They were gradually developing toward a Galactic Civilization.

The ten people including Stephanie landed in the wilderness outside Black Star City, looking out at the distant city.

“This is the home of Black Star. Based on the intelligence we gathered, his mother planet is of great importance to him, and he’s devoted a lot of energy to it,” one member said.

Stephanie slowly nodded.

After arriving in the Shattered Star Ring, she had not rushed into action but instead collected information for a while, learning about this mess that Albert had left behind.

The people that Albert caught had all been rescued by Black Star and were now connected to each other. If she acted carelessly, once she caught one of the freed men, the others would be alerted and become aware that someone else was hunting them again. Albert’s failure had made Stephanie’s job very difficult.

Stephanie was not planning to build a base like Albert did. She decided to stay in the dark, sending one target away right after she caught them, never staying in the same place for an extended time.

It was less efficient but less risky.

She was also not planning to seek cooperation from Klent. Klent had taken the blame for them, so it was highly likely that they would sell her out to clear their name. Furthermore, she did not build a base, so intelligence channels were less important to her.

In this case, the most difficult-to-deal-with target, Black Star, became the best first target. He had killed six people, including Albert, saved everyone captured, and made Albert’s years of accumulation go to waste. Plus, he had become a Beyond Grade A seed. He had a lot of potential and was the best prey. His Excellency Thousand Shadows would love it very much.

“Black Star is in a war, so we won’t have a very good chance of getting to him. However, as long as an enemy appears on his mother planet who only he can handle, he’ll definitely come back and deal with it. I’m not as reckless as Albert, not taking advantage of things like this.”

Instead of attacking Black Star’s territory or taking the risk of messing with the secret war, Stephanie chose to set a trap to lure Black Star into an ambush. The battlefield was set on Planet Aquamarine, which seemed like the dominant battleground for Black Star, but would actually make him cautious and careful.

Including herself, ten Calamity Grade ‘shadows’ might not be able to kill the nicknamed ‘Indestructible Body’ Black Star, but capturing him would not pose an issue.

“Even if he has the potential to be a Beyond Grade A Super, he isn’t Beyond Grade A now.” Stephanie’s expression was cold and calm.

Looking out into the azure sky, Stephanie took a deep breath and felt the coldness in her lungs. She narrowed her eyes with pleasure, smiled faintly, and said, “Hehe, I never thought that I would miss the whole war era after sleeping. This place is like my hometown, a prosperous planet… I really want to smash it.”

The other nine people glanced at each other and did not speak.

They were not familiar with Stephanie, but they knew that this captain was not a ‘shadow’ of their time.

Whoosh!

The Blacklight Stealth landed on an unpopulated planet, and Han Xiao, Desoro, and the others walked out of the hatch.

“Here will do. The space is big enough, and there’s no need to worry about the damage caused.” Han Xiao smiled.

He did not choose the base as the sparring venue. With just one accidental impact released during a fight between Calamity Grades, the base would vanish. Besides, the walls of the training room were not necessarily strong enough, and he did not want to incur unnecessary losses.

Desoro was silent and expressed his attitude with actions. His hands were reached out sideways, bright golden magic patterns appeared on his black robe, and magic forces surged. The robe was flapping as if it had rolled up a typhoon. His pupils under the hood were flashing with lightning, and anticipation for battle filled the air.

Lagi and the other two Forbidden Sorcerers retreated from the battlefield.

Feeling the immense fighting spirit, Han Xiao pulled on his necklace with his Mechanical Force. A brand-new mechanical suit model instantly covered his whole body. It was more beautiful than the Berserk Ape. It had a streamlined, silver-black shell with glowing blue patterns.

Despite being more aesthetic than Berserk Ape, it was much more violent.

This was an updated version of the Berserk Ape, also a Nano Transforming Mechanical Suit of the Ape series. Its name was (Mountain Ape]!

While the level requirement for Berserk Ape was 135, for Mountain Ape it was 165, a whole 30 levels higher. Han Xiao had used a great deal of rare raw materials and integrated new technology, which greatly increased the attributes of this mechanical suit.

Its armor value was over 110,000, and its Power Level was close to 5,000. Its performance was extremely strong

While the Berserk Ape specialized in having strong power, Mountain Ape specialized in having strong energy. This was due to the superiority of the psionic reaction furnace. While the Berserk Ape was more focused on close-range combat, Mountain Ape used psionic energy to battle and could excel in both close and long-range battles; it was more versatile.

“Come on!” Desoro yelled. A magic jewel on his collar sparkled brightly. The next moment, a dazzling magic array appeared under his feet, turning into a giant black vortex that seemed to connect to another dimension.

A giant twelve-fingers palm emerged from the vortex. Its texture was like obsidian, full of glowing golden cracks. The hand alone was close to a hundred meters long. It slammed violently on the ground.

Bang!

The ground trembled! “Summoner Mage? Superior Magic Colossus?” Han Xiao raised his brows.

The Summoner class was as unreasonable as the Army Style. All the Forbidden Sorcerers were magic masters and knew spells of many styles. It seemed like Desoro was mainly a Summoner.

Using a large summoner spell right in front of me? Do you think I don’t exist?

Han Xiao curled his lips and crossed his hands, forming an oval shape and aiming at Desoro. A blue, azure light particle appeared between his palms. It then expanded rapidly with a blinding light, shooting out a huge blue beam!

As Desoro maintained the Summoning spell, the pattern on his robe lit up. A high-energy magic shield appeared in front of him, and the blue beam crashed into it. At that moment, Desoro felt an immense sense of danger. His pupils constricted, and he immediately withdrew the Summoning spell, teleporting a few hundred meters away.

Boom!

The blue light beam instantly swallowed up the magic shield and then went into the ground. The ground cracked rapidly, and blue light emitted from the cracks and shot up into the sky.

Rumble!

A blue pillar, dozens of times larger than the beam, shot out from the ground, rising up like a fountain.

Psionic Impact-Whale!

One of the Mountain Ape’s abilities!

The energy beam vanished into the sky, and the ground turned into a circular crater hundreds of meters in diameter. As the summoning spell had ended early, only one arm of the Magic Colossus was summoned, which was nearly shattered by the explosion.

“You can use psionic energy

Desoro’s tone became extremely grave.

A Mechanic that could use the psionic and a Mechanic that could not were two completely different concepts!

“Wouldn’t that happen…”

Before Han Xiao finished his sentence, his body suddenly became blurry. Powerful impetus infused with psionic energy turned him into a lightning bolt, leaving a blue shadow behind. Han Xiao flashed in front of Desoro in an instant. His fist wrapped in psionic shield crashed down on Desoro’s magic shield with the second half of the sentence!

“… sooner or later?”

Bang!

The two of them crashed into each other!

An enormous amount of energy came from the psionic shield. The magic shield was shattering piece by piece!

Desoro was heavily hit, and he flew out like a shooting star. Leaving a blue trail, Han Xiao caught up with Desoro midway and caught him by the back of his head. His hands gripped Desoro’s neck and threw him up into the sky.

Mountain Ape Throw!

Compared to Berserk Ape’s (Berserk Throw), the Mountain Ape version gave fifty more Strength but a lower damage count. Also, it had an extra 0.5-second stun time. Generally, it was more of a disabling ability now.

Squeak!

Han Xiao stopped instantly. The mechanical suit on his arms turned into joint energy cannons. The dozens of barrels aimed at Desoro in the sky.

Bang bang bang!

In the blink of an eye, psionic beams rushed out of the barrel one after another, catching up with Desoro. The light illuminated his fearsome eyes.

Boom!

Continuous blue explosions appeared in the sky!

The bright light lit up the Mountain Ape’s helmet, and the scorching hot air was swirling.

Under the mask, Han Xiao smiled.

A Mage’s weakness was also close-range combat!

Whoosh!

With a flash of light, Desoro teleported out of attack range once again. He was injured and rather flustered. Then, he started casting a spell without a word. After all, he was an elite Mage under Austin’s command. Although the situation was not looking good, he would not be so easily defeated.

However, Desoro had to admit that, although he did not look down on Black Star, Black Star’s combat capability was still beyond his expectations.

Zoom!

With the light of summoning spells, strange and weird creatures were summoned one after another. Desoro even cast dozens of instant enhancing spells on himself to guard against Han Xiao from closing the distance again, only to find that Han Xiao had no intention of stopping his summoning.

Han Xiao smirked. As he clapped, the space around him suddenly started to ripple and buzz.

“Channeling spell? I can, too!”

Hum!

A beam of light flashed around him, and twenty-two Army Boxes appeared out of thin air.

In order to improve the efficiency of the army, Han Xiao did not care about the cost and equipped the Army Boxes with energy stoves and hyperdrive engines. This way, the support range and speed of the mechanical army increased greatly. He did not need the Blacklight Stealth to airdrop them anymore.

Most importantly… it looked so much cooler!

The purpose of sparring with these people was not only for the Promotion mission but also to test the combat ability of the new mechanical army. Thus, of course, he was going to use everything he had.

As Han Xiao pulled with his fist, a Mechanical Force lightning chain grabbed onto every Army Box.

Boom boom boom! The Army Boxes vibrated, and they were opened. Countless compressed orbs were sprayed out, turning them into a mechanical army.

In front of the large mechanical army, Desoro’s summoned creatures were like lambs surrounded by wolves, weak and helpless.

“Get him!” Han Xiao pointed at Desoro, who was panicking

Boom!

The Mechanical Army swallowed Desoro’s summoned creature army.

The scene became chaotic instantly.

As soon as the two armies clashed, the strength difference became crystal clear-Desoro’s army could only hold on for a few seconds. The situation turned into a one-sided thrashing!

Chapter 666 Round Three

Both the Army Style and the Summoning Style relied on numbers. The summoning class used mana, so it did not cost a lot of money. Even if the summoned creatures were destroyed, they could still be summoned the next time. However, it took a lot of time to summon those creatures during battle.

As for the Army Style, it required a lot of money. The army would be built before the battle and could all be used immediately. Once destroyed, money would be needed to rebuild them. The good thing was that the time to get the army ready was very short.

The rebuilt mechanical army used psionic energy as the main energy source. Most machines were modified to be psionic powered. The electromagnetic cannons had all been swapped out for psionic cannons that were many times stronger. Even the mechanical soldiers were equipped with psionic shields and small-caliber psionic lasers among other things.

The psionic energy technology was extremely useful. The cost of building machines did not increase by a lot, but their combat capabilities rocketed.

Under Phillip’s control, the mechanical army quickly defeated Desoro’s summoned creatures. With the [Machinery Truth Knowledge] bonus, Han Xiao was satisfied with the individual combat capabilities of the mechanical soldiers. He estimated that one mechanical soldier could defeat five of the same model mechanical soldier before his Class Advancement.

Bang bang bang!

The explosions continued in the sky. The battle was one-sided. The creatures summoned by Desoro were already wiped out, leaving him to face the mechanical army alone. Even without the summoning spells. Desoro was still a very strong Mage. He cast powerful spells very quickly and smoothly.

The battlefield was an unpopulated planet, so both sides were not restrained at all. They unleashed destructive forces freely. Desoro constantly teleported, and the mechanical army surrounded and intercepted him. The battlefield constantly shifted and extended over thousands of miles. The powerful forbidden spells and psionic cannons bombarded the surface. The earth was completely disorganized and filled with deep craters from explosions. If this was a planet with a civilization on it, the buildings would have been flattened long ago.

Being surrounded, Desoro was having a tough time like he had fallen into a swamp-every movement was difficult to make.

If this was the mechanical army before Han Xiao’s Class Advancement, Calamity Grades would not have felt too threatened even if they were surrounded. For the stronger Calamity Grades such as the eight Vanguard Officials under the Tyrant, they would be able to go in and out through the mechanical army easily. All it could do was slowly reduce the enemy’s health and energy.

However, the mechanical army after his Class Advancement had much more destructive and restraining power. The psionic cannons and shields caused the army’s overall attack and defense ability to go up by many levels.

Even a strong Calamity Grade like Desoro was in a pickle. The Psionic Cannons had much stronger individual power, which meant that the attacks did not have to be too concentrated in one place. Thus, the attacks from the Psionic Cannons seemed to have built a blue spider web, with danger at its every corner.

In terms of defense, the guarding team connected their Psionic Shields into a large shield a few hundred meters in size, like an enormous bubble. Even Grade 6 to Grade 7 spells were unable to penetrate it. Desoro had no choice but to use very powerful and high mana cost forbidden spells to barely cause any damage.

“He’s being overwhelmed completely. His loss is inevitable.” At the edge of the battlefield, the other two Forbidden Sorcerers’ tone changed slightly.

Before the battle, the two of them had also thought of observing how strong Black Star was, but this scene right before their eyes dumbfounded them. They knew very well how strong Desoro was. They had thought that even if Black Star would be able to defeat Desoro, it would happen after a rather tough fight. However, the battle turned out to be one-sided.

“He’s even stronger…” Lagi felt complicated.

The time for which he had known Han Xiao was still very short, so this was the first time that he had witnessed Han Xiao’s growth speed. When they met for the first time, despite Lagi underestimating his strength as usual, he had still felt that he had a fifty percent chance of beating Black Star. One month ago, when Han Xiao was given the title of Indestructible Body, he had felt that he only had a thirty percent chance of winning.

Now, he felt that he was nothing.

“Such unbelievable growth speed, this is truly Beyond Grade A potential.” Lagi’s negativity exploded, and he suddenly felt that there was no point in him studying magic anymore. He might as well go home and start a farm or something…

On the battlefield, Desoro held on for a while longer before being so disgusted by the mechanical army that he almost vomited. Not having the will to fight anymore, he yelled, “I admit defeat!”

Han Xiao lifted his finger and stopped the mechanical army, making them retreat to the side.

With the pressure gone, Desoro instantly felt more alive. He took a deep breath, slowly turned toward Han Xiao, and said with a regretful tone, “You’ve won the spar. I’m no match for you.”

If he continued, he could still have fought for a long time, but he felt it was futile. Black Star’s mechanical army was so strong and did not give him any chance. Furthermore, Black Star was basically just watching from the side, yet he still had such a tough fight. Even if he continued, he would most likely have had no chance of winning.

“You’re very strong, too.” Han Xiao smiled. “You should’ve tried approaching me. Maybe you would’ve beaten me.”

Desoro’s face turned back. He wanted to ask if Han Xiao even felt shame but decided not to say it after thinking for a moment.

Black Star’s Indestructible Body title was known across the Star Field. Everyone knew that Black Star’s strength was his body. Desoro did not live under a rock—it would have been crazy of him to go close to Han Xiao in a battle thinking that he would be able to defeat him that way.

This was also one of the reasons that Desoro had admitted his defeat he could not see any opportunity to turn the tables.

Luckily, I did not start a conflict with him. Desoro was glad of how sensible he was to give up the thought of using force on Han Xiao. From his perspective, even the first three disciples of Austin would not be able to defeat Han Xiao easily, if at all, so Desoro himself would only be completely thrashed by him.

Desoro was convinced that he was indeed still very far from a Beyond Grade A seed.

Han Xiao gave Desoro a few patronizing compliments. As the victor, he had the right to speak this way, and Desoro saw no problem with it at all. Calamity Grades would not be unable to accept a defeat. The loss only upset him for a while before letting it go, at the same time throwing away his sense of superiority as a Beyond Grade A’s subordinate and giving Han Xiao more respect.

Respecting someone stronger was a rule that never changed and never would change, which was even more deeply understood by a Beyond Grade A’s subordinate.

You have received 6 Trial Points.

Current Progress: 6/50

While chatting, a notification popped up on the interface.

He’s at least twenty levels higher than me. I see, so the definition of winning is to have the opponent admit defeat… Hmm, one person can only give points one time. There are three more people.

Han Xiao was delighted. He turned around and asked Lagi and the other two for a spar as well.

Since Han Xiao personally requested to spar with them, even though the other two Forbidden Sorcerer knew that they would not be able to win, they were not so cowardly as to not even take the fight. After all, it was just a spar. Desoro felt strange. The way he saw it, Han Xiao wanting to spar with his two colleagues even after he had defeated him was clearly an act of showcasing his strength.

“Apparently, although Black Star did not express it, he’s actually very unhappy about us taking Lagi away. Therefore, he requested to spar with us, to showcase his power and beat us up.” Desoro felt that this was the truth, but there was nothing he could

do.

Those two Forbidden Sorcerers were not summoners, but they were just as strong as Desoro. One of them specialized in psychic spells, which ignored Han Xiao’s health-mana cycle and caused him a little bit of trouble. This was one of the few weaknesses that he had at the moment, but he did not let it show.

He had the (Advanced Mental Toughness] talent, so he was not completely defenseless against psychic attacks. Despite not being able to absorb the psychic attacks, he was still very tanky, so he did not panic at all.

Furthermore, if he gave it his all, he could even damage himself to recover energy, which was completely unnecessary for a spar. This Forbidden Sorcerer also admitted defeat very soon.

Lagi was basically a walking pile of negativity. He admitted defeat just one minute into the fight.

After sparring with all four of them, Han Xiao had a rough idea of his combat capability.

I now have two trump cards—my tankiness and the Army Style. As long as it’s not against those strongest Grade A+ who are only a tiny bit away from Beyond Grade A, I will be able to maintain a more than 50% win rate. When facing more than one enemy, I can pose a threat to about three Calamity Grades at the same time. If the goal is just to hold the enemies back, ignoring the fact that the enemies will want to escape, I should be able to hold back six to seven Calamity Grades…

As for those who are a threat to me, psychic attacks and Virtual Mechanics are notable. Army Style Mechanics who also have a psionic energy mechanical army are threatening, too, as it will turn into a battle of resources since the style is the same, but I do have the advantage of being very tanky. Also, those Espers with strange abilities are always dangerous.

While summarizing all that in his mind, Han Xiao was chatting with Desoro and the others.

The spar had ended. Desoro expressed his intention to leave, and Han Xiao did not stop him this time.

Before leaving, Lagi made a serious promise. “Austin is a good man. Although I was chased away by him, we still have a connection, and he won’t make things difficult for me. Black Star, I will definitely return.”

“Alright.” Han Xiao smiled. “When you return, you’ll be my vice-captain.”

Lagi had only joined the Black Star Army for a short time, so he was still on probation. He was currently just a high-level combatant and had not taken on a position yet. With his ability, he was undoubtedly qualified to be the vice-captain. No one would have a problem with a Grade A+ being the vice-captain. Furthermore, he had an amazing resume. Despite being a little negative, he was indeed a talent.

Having developed into a veritable behemoth, the Black Star Army did indeed need one more person that matched up to its fame.

Lagi was stunned for a moment before turning hesitant. “Does that mean I will have more things to do?”

“… I’ll just give you the title without the work, how about that?”

Only then did Lagi smile again.

“Your Excellency Black Star, we shall take our leave.”

Desoro and the other two nodded before taking Lagi to the spaceship. Han Xiao thought for a moment before giving Lagi an Observer’s Mark.

His Promotion was close. His Racial Talents would change by then, so he did not have many chances to use Observer’s Marks left. Although Austin would be able to notice the Observer’s Mark, it was not a problem. His intention was not to peek at Austinhow could a child looking old Mage be as nice to look at as Ames?

He did not stop Lagi from going back. Putting an Observer’s Mark on him was to express his attitude toward Austin, that Lagi was important to him. Unlike the Tyrant, he had no conflict with Austin. In fact, they had quite a good relationship, and Austin had quite high hopes for him.

The spaceship took off and left.

After watching Desoro and the rest leave, Han Xiao looked at the interface.

The Promotion mission progress was now 24/50. It was almost half done.

Nice, that was very efficient. I’m only twenty-six points away. If my opponents are all twenty or more levels higher, I just need five more to complete the mission. If they are less than twenty levels higher or the same level as me, it will take at least seven opponents…

At this time, an unexpected notification popped up on the interface.

You have triggered the round three mission of (Prey]!

“Huh?” Han Xiao was shocked, and his expression changed drastically.

Chapter 667 Sudden Situation

[Round Three: New Hunters]

Mission Introduction: You have defeated the first group of hunters and seen the tip of the iceberg of this enormous force. Now, a new group of hunters has arrived. They’re stronger and more dangerous, staring at you in the shadows, ready to move.

Mission Requirements: Resolve the attack from the new hunter team.

Reward: 78,500,000 Experience. One random ability from one of the members of the hunter team.

The mastermind behind Albert and his gang has sent a new team here, starting the hunt again?

Han Xiao’s expression became serious. The high experience reward indicated the difficulty of the third round of this mission.

The mission introduction was ambiguous. All he knew was that there was a group of enemies of unknown strength creeping in the shadows. He knew nothing about what their plan was.

This was like a time bomb, and he did not know when it would explode. The only good news was that the interface notification at least alerted him of this time bomb.

According to the clues in the past, the master of these hunters should be a member of The Ancient Ones from another Star Field. That person still has not given up and has now sent another team that is definitely stronger than Albert’s team. This will be quite difficult.

Han Xiao was troubled. Another group of strong enemies appearing during the secret war added uncertainties to the secret war, which was definitely not a good thing.

After pondering for a while, he felt that the most important thing at the moment was to find where the enemies were. Once the enemies showed themselves, it would mean that they had enough confidence to deal with him.

Since the mission notification had alerted him, he wanted to make preparations.

Since the third round has appeared, this means that the new hunter team has already targeted me. In order to capture me, there are a few possibilities…

Han Xiao contemplated but came to no conclusion. He had no idea when and where the enemies would suddenly appear.

Looks like I have to borrow the power of superstition…

He boarded the spaceship and set the destination. The Blacklight Stealth lifted off, turned into a stream of light, and disappeared.

A few days later, a spaceship landed on Floating Dragon Island. Han Xiao ignored the cowardly and fearsome looks of the galactic pirates and headed straight to old man Aesop’s house.

In the past, old man Aesop’s life had been full of excitement and the lack of fear for death. However, for some reason, maybe because he was old now, he had retired on Floating Dragon peacefully, so it was very easy to find him.

“You’re saying that a new group of hunters appeared, and they’re planning to come for you?”

In the room, Aesop yawned and rubbed his eyes in a flecked nightgown and a crooked nightcap, expressing his doubts about what Han Xiao had said. He had originally been sleeping like an old man but had been woken up by Han Xiao’s nonstop calls.

“That’s right.” Han Xiao nodded.

“Therefore, you came to me because you want me to help you by foreseeing what the enemies will do, right?” Aesop brushed his beard and squinted.

“Yes, the enemies are hiding in the shadows, I need your help.”

Aesop suddenly sized Han Xiao up and changed the topic. “I heard you became a Beyond Grade A seed recently?”

Han Xiao was stunned and did not know why he had suddenly brought this matter up, so he could only nod.

“Hmm, I did not expect that to happen.” Aesop tutted. “However, don’t trust that title too much. It’s not that easy to reach Beyond Grade A. It’s not just the increase in strength but more of the ascension of life form. Every Beyond Grade A is actually a new race…”

Aesop had come into contact and communicated with many Beyond Grade As before, so he did not mind telling Han Xiao some of what he knew.

Han Xiao listened patiently. Despite having the interface, there were only pros and no cons in listening to experience. As the saying went, having an elderly at home was just like having a treasure. After speaking for a while, Aesop suddenly shook his head.

“If you do hit the one in ten thousand chance and manage to become a Beyond Grade A, the Ancient One behind the hunters will immediately stop chasing you. The secret war that has been attracting a lot of attention recently will also end because of you alone. As a new Beyond Grade A of the Shattered Star Ring, you will be able to immediately sit on the highest dinner table, and those Star Cluster Civilizations will actively bring their cake to share with you. As long as you express your intent, you will be able to easily receive an enormous amount of support. Everything that has been troubling you will be solved instantly…”

Aesop paused momentarily and sighed. “If that day really comes, you will definitely leave Floating Dragon. It’s impossible for a Beyond Grade A to be the subordinate of another Beyond Grade A.”

Han Xiao did not reply.

Indeed, if he reached Beyond Grade A, he would definitely leave Floating Dragon.

From the beginning, Floating Dragon has always been a stepping stone for him. He had helped Floating Dragon achieve many things throughout the years, so he did contribute as a member. Even if he left Floating Dragon, he would not become Ames’ enemy.

Ames might not be happy, but Jenny definitely wanted him to get the hell away as soon as possible.

Aesop rubbed his forehead and said, “Don’t mind me. Old people are always talkative. Back to the topic, you gave me too few clues. I won’t be able to guarantee how accurate the prophecy is. It can only be used as a reference.”

Then, Aesop closed his eyes and started his prophecy.

Not long after, he opened his eyes.

Seeing that Han Xiao was still waiting patiently, Aesop said, “I only saw a few blurry images. A large shadow shrouds you. You dash left and right but aren’t able to escape the shadow no matter what. In the end, the shadow consumes you completely.”

Han Xiao frowned and asked, “What does this mean?”

“What I saw might not be the reality; it might just be a symbol. I think this prophecy means that the people behind this will keep chasing you, and you won’t be able to escape him. In conclusion, it means you’re in danger.”

“That’s it?” Han Xiao’s mouth twitched. Are you pulling my leg?

“As I said, there are too few clues. The prophecy is very blurry and might not be right.” Aesop shrugged. “If I was all-knowing, do you think you would’ve caught me back then?”

Han Xiao was speechless.

Is that not the same as saying nothing at all? Why do I feel like even the Destiny’s Child Character Summon Card is more useful than you? If not because there’s only one last usage left, I would have used it long ago. You’re not very reliable, old man Aesop.

Aesop was not of any help, so Han Xiao turned and went to see Ames. Since he was already there, of course, he had to see her.

Ames was alone in the palace, and she was rather happy to see Han Xiao. The two of them chatted for a while. Han Xiao did not see Hila and Aurora, so he asked Ames about it. He then came to know that Hila had been extremely motivated recently for some reason, so she had been dragging Aurora along and training extra hard. Han Xiao did not tell anyone else about this visit, so he did not plan on disturbing Hila and Aurora. He chatted with Ames for a while longer before bringing up his request for Ames’ help.

He instinctively felt that the third round of the mission would be very dangerous. If he could get Ames to help, he would have nothing to worry about.

Unexpectedly, Ames smiled elegantly and exquisitely before rejecting him.

“Black Star, I can’t this time. I have something else to do. Plus, you can’t keep asking for my help. Maybe this is very dangerous, but you have the potential to become Beyond Grade A in the future, so if you really want to do that, you have to rely on yourself to conquer one obstacle after another.”

From the rumors recently, Ames saw the possibility of Han Xiao becoming a Beyond Grade A in the future. Hence, she decided to help Han Xiao less. The way she saw it, danger was a fertilizer. Only through danger would the seed be able to sprout and grow out of the soil.

When Aesop was her mentor, he had used the eagle style of education, too, letting her grow and become independent. Ames had learned from this and used the same thing on Hila and Aurora. The only difference was that these sisters had yet to reach the standard of going out on adventures and battles alone.

As for Han Xiao, Ames had a lot of trust in his strength. She felt that giving too much protection to Black Star was not a good thing-it would reduce Black Star’s opportunities to hone himself. She sincerely wanted to see Black Star become stronger, and she would feel happy for him as a friend.

There was nothing Han Xiao could do. After all, Ames was the faction leader-she would not be willing to help him every single time, not to mention the fact that the enemies had yet to even appear this time.

Requesting Ames’ help was just to make things easier. If the Dragon Emperor was not going to help, he would do it himself. In the past few years, he had met countless dangers, so he was not going to be afraid, not ever.

After bidding farewell to Ames, Han Xiao left Floating Dragon Island in his spaceship, coming quickly and leaving just as quickly.

He did not receive much from this trip to Floating Dragon Island, so he was unavoidably a little upset. In the end, relying on himself was still the best choice.

As he became stronger and his organization developed quicker, the battles he was in became larger. The help that Floating Dragon could give to him now was not as great as it used to be.

In the cockpit, Han Xiao piloted the spaceship while thinking of a plan.

Ames isn’t helping, and Aesop was basically useless, so I have to complete the Promotion as soon as possible. Every little increase in my strength counts…

After thinking for a while, Han Xiao took out the communicator and was about to contact his friends to find people to spar with.

Beep beep!

The communicator suddenly vibrated. It was a sudden message from Bennett.

Han Xiao was shocked. He read through it, and his face instantly turned grave.

It was not good news.

Ever since Bennett built Black Star City, due to all the matters he had to settle every single day, it had been quite some time since he contacted Han Xiao. If there was nothing important, Bennett would not disturb him.

This novice planet had always been rather important to Han Xiao. Although the old players had basically all joined his army, there would still be many more new players in the future.

He was very sensitive at this time. There was no way for him not to connect what was suddenly happening on Planet Aquamarine with the third round of (Prey).

Han Xiao frowned and was on high alert.

“This is certainly a trap!”

One day earlier on Planet Aquamarine…

In the government affairs building, Bennett had just finished reviewing the files. He heaved a sigh of relief, put the pen down, and rubbed his temples, trying to ease his tiredness.

“Sigh, being a leader of a nation is more tiring than fighting a war.”

Bennett sighed. He picked up the hot tea beside him, blew into it, and sipped slowly. The warm tea flew down his throat, bringing warmth to his stomach. The tiredness started to gradually disappear, and he exhaled comfortably.

He turned his chair around to face the floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the city outside. Trains were running along the tracks, and pedestrians were laughing. It was harmonious and lively. He smiled with relief.

Seeing that the people had peaceful and stable lives, Bennett felt that everything was worth it.

Ring ring!

Suddenly, the telephone on the desk rang hastily.

“There’s really no time to rest at all.”

Bennett picked up the call.

“You—Your Excellency, the Six Nations!”

A government official was on the other side of the call, stuttering with a sharp voice. Bennett could hear his panic clearly even through the call. He felt that his eardrum was hurting and held the telephone a little further away from his ear.

“What are you yelling about? What happened?”

“Th—the Six Nations have declared war on us at the same time!”

Bennett immediately became stiff. His eyes widened and stood up instantly.

“Have all of them gone insane”

Clank!

The teacup fell to the ground, and the hot tea spilled all over the floor.

Chapter 669 Ambush and Counter-Ambush

In a dark cell, a man whose hands and feet were shackled by electromagnetic handcuffs was sitting on the floor. Light glimmered through the window of alloy bars and lit up his furious face.

“The world outside is in a mess. I can’t stay here!”

The man’s voice was husky with a very worried tone.

If Han Xiao was there, he would have recognized this man. This imprisoned man was his former boss from more than seven years ago, the ex-director of the Stardragon National Strategic Defense Department, Gu Hui.

He had survived the Mutation Disaster. In the past three years when Planet Aquamarine was rapidly growing, he had retired from Division 13 and been promoted to an upper echelon in the government.

However, a few days prior, his position had been taken away, and he had been imprisoned.

Gu Hui took a deep breath as the images from a few days ago flashed across his eyes.

He was invited to an upper echelon conference. During the meeting, the national leader had suddenly made a decision that petrified everyoneto work together with all the Six Nations and declare war on Black Star City. No matter how strongly the majority of the officials present opposed this, the leader took an extremely strong stand and refused to retract the decision. The several deputy level officials kept silent and shockingly did not oppose it too.

As both sides stood their ground firmly, this meeting ended without them coming to an agreement. However, before Gu Hui could recover from the shock, one hour after the meeting ended, he was secretly captured and thrown into prison.

“I’m definitely not the only one that’s been captured. All the opposing officials are locked up, too. The upper echelons are going to declare war no matter what. This is a dictatorship!”

Gu Hui still could not figure out the reason behind this. He was rather familiar with the national leader; such extreme and arbitrary behavior felt like it was a different person.

Black Star was now the protector of Planet Aquamarine, yet they want to fight their own protector? Was that not insanity?

Gu Hui had been locked up for many days and was very worried about what was happening in the outside world. Since the people that opposed the decision had been captured, no one would stop the leader anymore. He could not imagine what the consequences of declaring a war would be. He could only pray that at least the military would still have a clear mind and not just follow orders blindly.

“This will definitely lead to Black Star’s revenge!” Gu Hui did not want to imagine Black Star’s reaction to this.

That man was no longer that weak Black Phantom of the past!

He could crush the entire Planet Aquamarine alone!

“Those Six Nations have declared war on Black Star’s forces. This planet is his garden, so he has definitely received the news.”

In a certain city of the Six Nations, Stephanie and the rest were walking down the crowded street, coldly observing the riots happening.

Just a few days ago, this city had still been peaceful and harmonious. Now, however, large groups of people were protesting. They were angry and agitated, strongly opposing the government’s declaration of war against Black Star.

The military cooperated with the police to maintain security. Yelling, screaming, and roaring was everywhere. The messy footsteps almost trembled the ground. Some people even threw Molotov cocktails at the buildings, igniting flames and fighting with the police.

Chaos reigned!

This scene was happening in many cities of the Six Nations at the same time.

Stephanie looked at the chaotic scene and smiled in satisfaction.

“Good. Black Star will definitely come back here to investigate, but he won’t know that we are behind this. He won’t know that we are targeting him, so he won’t be very alert. We just have to wait in the dark for an appropriate opportunity to give him a ‘surprise’!”

As she was speaking, the nine of them turned and walked away before disappearing in a flash of light.

This team had ten members, but only nine appeared there.

Ten days later, a stream of light approached an unpopulated planet. This was the gathering location that Han Xiao had set. It was not far from Planet Aquamarine.

The Blacklight Stealth circled around the planet for a while. It then received a signal from the surface and came to the location where the signal was sent. Purple Crystal and Godora’s people had all reached there before him, waiting for his arrival.

The spaceship landed, and Han Xiao walked out the hatch. The helpers approached him. Han Xiao looked around—there were six of them.

“Hello Black Star, we’re here to assist you. You can call me Wilton. I’m a Purple Crystal Calamity Grade combat officer. These are my two team members…”

Wilton seemed to be their leader. Han Xiao nodded and shook hands with the six of them one by one. All six of them were Calamity Grades. Purple Crystal and Godora had each sent three. The leader of the team on Godora’s side was a familiar face— Nagakin.

Even to Star Cluster Civilizations, Calamity Grades were rare high-level combatants, yet Purple Crystal had still sent three to help him, showing their sincerity.

“As per the order from the superiors, you’re the commander and can give us orders. Tell me, what do you want us to do?” Wilton said with an expressionless face.

Han Xiao sharply noticed Wilton’s impatience. He thought about it for a second and figured out why.

Wilton was a high-level combatant of a Star Cluster Civilization, so he had a sense of superiority and was rather arrogant. However, he had no choice but to follow the orders of a same grade Super who was not even a part of his government. Although he would definitely not disobey the superiors’ orders, he would still probably be unwilling.

Han Xiao did not mind it at all. He did not need them to be willing or whatnot-he only needed them to obey his orders and be useful.

“I suspect that the civil strife on Planet Aquamarine is a plot, and there are people behind it. Their goal might be to assassinate me…” Han Xiao repeated what he had said to trick Ralph.

“What do you want us to do?” Wilton asked.

Han Xiao thought about it and said, “Since the enemies are trying to attract my attention by starting a civil strife, they will most likely be hiding till I appear. Let’s not alarm them. I will go back alone first as the bait. You guys wait near Planet Aquamarine. When the hidden enemies show themselves, you guys come to support me.”

“Okay.”

Wilton had no problem with the plan. Although he did not like Black Star, this did not mean that he doubted Han Xiao’s body. After all, it was a strong body that had withstood the attacks of the eight Vanguard Officials, so Black Star would definitely be able to last till they arrived.

After discussing it for a while, Han Xiao settled on the plan. The enemies had set a trap for him to step into, but he could use the same method to lure them out. This was the contest between an ambush and a counter-ambush.

After confirming the plan, Han Xiao looked at the few of them. Suddenly, he had an idea and said, “I have a small request. I hope to spar with each of you to test your combat capabilities. Only then will I be able to know the overall strength of our team.”

There were six Calamity Grades there; it was definitely a good opportunity to earn Trial Points. His Promotion mission progress was currently at 24/50. If these six teammates were strong enough, he might be able to even complete his Promotion right there.

Wilton frowned.

Han Xiao’s request was not nonsensical, but it was too straight forward. It was as if he was doubting their strength. This made him feel like he was being underestimated. Wilton was expressionless but could not help but feel rather annoyed in his heart.

However, he did not even consider fighting Han Xiao seriously during the spar. To him, the mission was the priority. He suppressed his anger and sparred with Han Xiao. This time, the sparring was even shorter than when Han Xiao sparred with the Forbidden Sorcerers. Both of them stopped at a suitable time and did not go all out.

Han Xiao sparred with his six teammates one after another. It went smoothly and did not waste too much time. After all, the six of them were temporarily under his command, so they did not have any objections.

Among the six Calamity Grade helpers, only Wilton was twenty or more levels higher than him and gave him 6 Trial Points. Four of them were less than twenty levels away from him. Han Xiao found an excuse to spar with each of them twice and obtained 4 Trial Points each. In total, he gained 22 Trial Points.

The progress of the Promotion mission was now 46/50, four points away from completion. Sadly, one of the Godoran Calamity Grades was three levels lower than him, so he did not give any Trial Points.

Only four points away. I need one more opponent… Han Xiao hesitated. He kind of wanted to find another person to spar and complete the Promotion before returning to Planet Aquamarine.

However, finding a new opponent would take quite some time. Over the past few days, Bennett had sent him reports every day. The situation was getting worse very quickly. Bennett was hurrying him back all the time, so Han Xiao did not really want to delay it much longer.

Furthermore, as soon as he completed the Promotion, he would go through Race Evolution, and the Observer’s Mark ability might disappear. This was a very useful special ability, especially against these elusive hunters.

After pondering, Han Xiao came to a decision. The enemies are ambushing me, so we will fight sooner or later. I have helpers now, so it won’t be easy for the enemies to succeed. It won’t be too late to complete the Promotion mission during the battle. It’s better to keep the Chaos Observer’s abilities they might be useful.

Han Xiao sorted his thoughts and left Phillip’s sub-programs to deal with the rest. In case the enemies had ways to cut communication, Phillip could call for reinforcements for him.

As the preparations were completed, Han Xiao did not stay on this planet. He boarded his spaceship and headed to Planet Aquamarine.

At the central helipad in Black Star City, the mercenaries stationed there and some of the officials under Bennett received the news and waited for Black Star’s return.

Bennett was walking back and forth at the front and glancing at the sky occasionally, appearing rather anxious.

Hu!

As the sound of spaceship approached, the crowd hastily looked up and saw Black Star’s signature spaceship slowly landing. Everyone felt relieved as if they had finally found someone to rely on.

The Blacklight Stealth stopped, and Han Xiao stepped onto Planet Aquamarine once again. He saw Bennett and the others immediately and walked over.

“You’re finally back!”

Bennett felt as if his shoulders were lighter, like the weight above them had been removed. Recently, he had been very stressed, but as soon as Black Star returned, he suddenly felt no stress at all. Black Star was the protector of the entire Planet Aquamarine; he would be able to solve any problem they had.

Han Xiao nodded and walked toward the base. Bennett and the others followed beside him.

“What’s the situation now?”

“The Six Nations have publicly declared war. Both their people and our people are flustered. The intelligence personnel I planted in the Six Nations told me that the Six Nations have already started preparing missiles to attack Black Star City. I don’t even dare turn off the protective shields these few days for fear of a sudden attack by the Six Nations. They’ve gone insane. I cannot judge their actions with logic at all!” Bennett spoke hastily.

Han Xiao curled his lips. “Do all the government officials of the Six Nations agree with the war declaration? I don’t believe that everyone has lost their mind. Do you have any information regarding this?”

With a grave tone, Bennett said, “You’re right. The Six Nations’ decision to declare war was very sudden. Many government officials did not even know about this before it happened. Many opposed it, but a few hours later, all the opposing government officials were captured. The Six Nations are basically under a dictatorship now.”

“Collective dictatorship? Ha, that’s new.” Han Xiao acted as if he was curious and asked, “Have you talked to the Six Nations’ leaders?”

“No, they refuse to communicate with me. I have no idea why they’re doing this.”

Han Xiao squinted. “Then I will have to go to them personally to talk.”

He wanted to see what these hunters had done to the Six Nations to make them go insane together.

With a worried expression, Bennett said, “Six Nations won’t allow you to get close to them. You have to be careful. They might launch missiles at you.”

“Let them try.” Han Xiao’s tone turned cold. “I’ve had enough of internal fights. The civilization has been split by too long. It’s time to unite it.” Since he was acting as a bait, he had to look real. Han Xiao secretly looked at the government officials following behind him.

The enemies might even be looking at him right now.

Chapter 670 Child’s Play

Since the enemies’ goal was him, Han Xiao felt that they should have measures to confirm his return. The most likely one would be to have someone watching him in Black Star City, as the Planet Aquamarine people would have no way to discover the enemies. As a Calamity Grade, toying with a surface civilization was as easy as eating and drinking

With the investment from galactic financial groups, Planet Aquamarine was developing rapidly toward the interstellar era. In just a few years’ time, they might be able to build stable interstellar carriers, colonize other unpopulated planets, and other things. However, Planet Aquamarine was still considered a surface civilization at the moment; they had no chance against a Calamity Grade Super.

All the officials that came to welcome him had green names and no red names, but Han Xiao did not completely rely on the interface. In his previous life, there had been some special abilities that could trick the identification of the interface. In fact, his Observer’s Mark was one of them.

Han Xiao looked normal but stayed alert. Starting from the moment he landed, the enemy might attack any time.

After chatting for a while, Han Xiao roughly understood the situation from Bennett. He smiled and said, “I understand the situation. There’s no need to give the Six Nations time to prepare. I’ll go and chat with them right now.”

Then, without waiting for the others to reply, mechanical parts covered his body in the blink of an eye and formed into the Mountain Ape mechanical suit. With a blue flame shooting out from his back, Han Xiao took off from the helipad, breaking through the sound barrier, turning into a little black dot, and quickly disappearing.

Bennett’s relaxed. With Black Star there, he felt so much more assured.

With the efficiency of its galactic engine, Han Xiao flew within the planetary atmosphere. The wastelands, mountain range, and the rest of the landscape receded under him rapidly. Han Xiao left a blue trail behind him and traveled using the planet as the axis. His tracks were very visible even in the daylight. Everywhere he went, many residents on the surface of the planet looked up and discovered this long-standing blue route he took.

Not long after, Han Xiao arrived above the Stardragon capital.

Looking at the familiar city, Han Xiao saw images flashing past in his mind that felt like only yesterday. Without noticing it, almost ten years had passed. This city was where he started.

Thinking for a while, Han Xiao did not hide and landed on the streets. Not far away, a group of people were protesting. The moment they saw Black Star, their faces turned into excitement, and they started to cheer at Han Xiao.

“Look, it’s Black Star!”

“Please stop our government!”

“Black Star, those government officials do not represent us. We all support you. No one wants to be your enemy!”

The crowd squeezed over and yelled in a mess, but Han Xiao still managed to understand what those civilians meant.

As he had solved the Mutation Disaster, Han Xiao’s reputation in Planet Aquamarine was much higher than that of the Six Nations’ governments. He was admired by every Planet Aquamarine resident.

I’m sort of popular.

Han Xiao felt strange. He did not feel troubled, but he did not enjoy this feeling of being loved by so many people either. After all, his target was not just resolving the trap that the hunters had set up but also using this opportunity to overthrow the Six Nations and uniting Planet Aquamarine.

Since my reputation is so high, things should be much easier.

Han Xiao nodded internally. Without greeting the civilians, he quickly left and flew across half of the city, landing in an alley.

Since he had returned, Han Xiao wanted to see the maintenance workshop that he had once worked at.

During the Mutation Disaster, the city had been in a mess. For safety, many people had decided to leave the city. Lu Qian had disappeared and become uncontactable as well. This store had been closed for a very long time, and there had been evidence of it falling apart everywhere.

Now that three more years had passed, this maintenance store had become even more run-down. Still, no one had come back.

Han Xiao shook his head. With Old Man Lu’s protection, Lu Qian would not have died in the Mutation Disaster. They might have already settled down in another city and would not be coming back. Since she had not gone to look for him, he did not want to disturb them.

After taking a look at a place of the past, Han Xiao flew toward Dragonhorn Tower where the Stardragon government was, heading right toward the Stardragon leader.

Dragonhorn Tower was very conspicuous. Han Xiao quickly arrived at the destination. Suspended in midair, Han Xiao looked down and smirked.

The ground around the tower cracked open, showing many deep tunnels leading underground. Armored armies appeared from within, and all kinds of firearms and artilleries aimed at Han Xiao.

The basement of Dragonhorn Tower was a military base. When Han Xiao first appeared within the crowd, the Stardragon military received the news. As Han Xiao had come so suddenly, Stardragon did not have enough time to get the missiles ready and could only make some hasty preparations.

With Han Xiao’s strength, those armored armies could not even tickle him. Their rather refined gunpowder weapons seemed primitive to him.

Han Xiao shook his head and extended his arm. Several bolts of Mechanical Force lightning launched from his hand.

Clank!

The tanks and artilleries on the ground were sucked up immediately and quickly dismantled into pieces, all turning into waste. This army was eliminated in an instant, leaving the lost and helpless soldiers on the ground.

“The welcome ceremony isn’t enthusiastic enough.”

Han Xiao felt like he was bullying children… but it did feel good.

With his strength, eliminating the entire Six Nations was a piece of cake.

Under Dragonhorn Tower, the Stardragon leader entered the safehouse while being accompanied by the troops. After closing the thick alloy gate, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

This specially-made safehouse was like a safe. It was extremely thick and would never be penetrated by missiles.

“How’re the armored troops?” the Stardragon leader quickly asked the military personnel beside.

“They were wiped out. Black Star only raised his hand a little.”

“How could he be so strong!” The Stardragon leader inhaled deeply.

Suddenly, a loud sound came from the gate of the safehouse.

Boom!

With a flash of psionic energy, the safehouse that could stop missiles now had a hole in it. Han Xiao walked right in. Through the hole, the people inside the room saw countless soldiers behind Han Xiao who were lying on the ground, whining in agony.

Han Xiao really did not want to start a slaughter, so he controlled his strength as much as he could and was barely able to injure them without killing them.

“We meet again.” Han Xiao looked at the Stardragon leader.

“Ho-How are you able to come in?” The Stardragon leader was horrified.

“Hmm?” Han Xiao frowned and noticed the strangeness.

The leaders of the Six Nations should know very clearly how strong he was. It was impossible for them to doubt that he would not be able to even break into this fragile safehouse. However, the shocked expression on the Stardragon leader’s face did not seem like an act.

Han Xiao squinted before punching the safehouse wall beside him.

Boom!

The entire safehouse shook. Everyone else could not maintain balance anymore and fell onto the ground, taking slight damage.

The interface immediately received a lot of combat information. Han Xiao instantly opened and read through it.

The level of everyone there was significantly lower than his, so their attributes were all crystal clear.

Including the Stardragon leader, the status bar of everyone in the room had a special status on it.

[Memory Modification): The memories of this person are modified.

Remaining time: 2 days 13 hours.

“No wonder…”

All his doubts were cleared—this was the reason that the Six Nations had turned on him.

This was undoubtedly an act of those hunters. He did not know what kind of memories the enemies had given the Six Nations’ leaders, but they seemed to have forgotten how strong he was. No wonder they were resisting so meaninglessly, even dreaming of taking back power from his hands and overthrowing Bennett’s forces.

A person’s personality was decided by their experiences. Once their memories changed, their personality would shift, too. Some Psychics who knew special techniques or Espers with those kinds of abilities were able to do things like this, so there was definitely someone like that among the enemies.

Such things were useless to stronger people. Stronger Supers had higher mental resistance. However, Planet Aquamarine only had a few decades’ history of Supers. The strongest among them was just Grade C. In front of a Calamity Grade, they were still weaklings that could be toyed with as they liked.

Changing one’s memory was a rather subtle and hidden measure, other than Supers with psychic abilities, the other class Supers would not be able to discover what happened to these people instantly.

But Han Xiao was an exception.

The enemies most likely think I won’t be able to discover what they did because I’m a Mechanic.

Han Xiao sneered in his mind.

Since the enemies could modify memories, it was meaningless for him to do anything to these government officials as the enemies would be able to modify those people’s memories again.

Suddenly, Han Xiao had an idea.

This kind of ability has to be cast at a close range. The status duration on these people is only two and a half days. By then, the hidden enemy will definitely secretly appear and modify their memories again… Hehe, I will then be able to discover their location.

Han Xiao planted an Observer’s Mark on the Stardragon leader before pretending he knew nothing about the memory modification and acting like he should have acted-threatening the Stardragon leader to stop the declaration of war.

The government officials present had forgotten about Han Xiao’s strength, so they were now terrified and gave in under Han Xiao’s threats. They gave orders on the spot and released the captured officials at the same time.

Han Xiao saw his old friend Gu Hui, but he only glanced at him and did not intend to say hello. Since the enemies were still hidden, it was not the time.

After witnessing the Stardragon leader complete his orders, Han Xiao turned around and immediately left the Stardragon capital.

The Stardragon leader and the other officials could not believe it. Was that all? They had thought that they were going to die for sure.

The captured officials, including Gu Hui, were all very glad that Han Xiao did not kill those people. Such gentle measures clearly meant that he was giving them a chance.

Due to this mistake, Gu Hui and many officials decided that they had to impeach the current leader. They could not let this maniac continue leading the nation.

Afterward, Han Xiao visited the remaining five nations and convinced every one of them.

He could only plant five Observer’s Marks, the mark he had planted on Lagi had already been wiped away by Austin after completing its job.

As Promotion was around the corner, Han Xiao swapped out all the Observer’s Mark targets and gave them to five national leaders. He then returned to Black Star City and waited for the Observer’s Marks to provide useful information. This was like fishing -it required patience.

To his surprise, the hidden enemies did not attack him during this time. What could they be waiting for? Were they observing him?

Knowing what had happened to Albert, the enemies seemed to be very cautious and were confirming if he had really fallen for the trap.

A few hours later, the Six Nations withdrew the war declarations at the same time. Countless people were cheering and overjoyed.

However, before they could even enjoy the contentment, just one day after, everyone was dumbfounded by the Six Nations’ actions.

Having just withdrawn the war declaration, the Six Nations launched missiles at Black Star City the following day!

As if their compromise one day ago was just to earn the time to prepare.

Most missiles were intercepted midair, and the galactic level protective shield of Black Star City stopped the rest of the missiles. There were no casualties. However, everyone in Black Star City was furious at the completely perfidious Six Nations.

Even the people of the Six Nations could not believe

it.

Has our government really gone insane?

Are they asking to be killed? Will they only stop when Black Star kills all of them?

Han Xiao, however, was not angry at all. It was clear that this had happened because the enemies had modified the Six Nations’ leaders’ memories again. The political conflicts of a surface civilization were no different from children playing house to Calamity Grades.

The good news was, he did not have to wait two days to obtain useful information.

Through the Observer’s Marks, an enemy finally appeared.

“These people finally showed themselves.”

Han Xiao squinted his eyes.

Just one day later, Gu Hui was imprisoned once again before he could execute his plan.

Being imprisoned the second time, he was not even angry anymore.

What is this?

Does the leader think that matters of national importance are just like children playing house, doing whatever they want?

Of course, Gu Hui did not know that the memories of all those officials had been modified. He was completely speechless toward those people who had once been his colleagues.

Chapter 671 I Recognize You!

In Raylen’s capital, Zeglin walked slowly in the government building. Everyone he passed-be it government officials, secretaries, or guardsignored him as if he did not exist. However, if someone was about to bump into him, that person would subconsciously dodge aside.

Arriving at the door of the leader’s office, Zeglin did not stop. He pushed the door open and walked in. The guard beside the door did not react at all.

In the room, the Raylen leader was in a call with the military, who also ignored Zeglin. Zeglin tapped his own forehead with his finger, and invisible psychic energy expanded and turned into more than ten tentacles, which then penetrated into the Raylen leader’s brain, modifying his memories.

The Raylen leader’s words suddenly paused. Confusion flashed on his face for a second before his expression returned to normal, and he continued speaking on the call. In this short pause, his memories had been modified.

Expressionless, Zeglin nodded and left the way he had entered. While walking, he used the psychic mark in his brain and communicated with Stephanie and the others across thousands of miles.

“I checked their memories. Black Star’s attitude toward them is very normal. He threatened them and does not know that the memories of these national leaders have been modified. It’s basically confirmed that he did not notice anything. We should act soon. He’s not alert now, but he might be if we delay this for too long.” Stephanie’s chuckling sounded in his mind. “Don’t forget what happened to Albert. Black Star is even more cautious than Antarrians. Letting our guard down against him would be foolish. However, you’re right-delaying isn’t a good idea. The next time he leaves Black Star City, we will set up an ambush over there. In his own territory, he would be more hesitant to attack.”

“When I’m done with my job, I will rendezvous with you guys.”

Zeglin nodded and then levitated with his psychic energy, flying toward Theseus, which was also on the Northern Continent. This was his next target.

He was a member of Stephanie’s team, a Grade A Psychic master who could modify memories. He deviated from the others and acted alone, giving fake memories to the Six Nations’ leaders and twisting their knowledge toward Black Star, making them think that they were fighters resisting a dictator.

The political conflicts of a planet surface civilization were just tricks between weaklings, meaningless and childish. He could toy with those people any way he wanted to. If not for the sake of setting up a trap for Black Star, he would not even have been willing to waste his energy on using such delicate memory modifying methods on a group of surface civilization natives.

It was winter on the mountainous Northern Continent.

Zeglin quickly left Raylen’s border, flying over the icy landscape.

When flying over a mountain, Zeglin’s heart suddenly skipped a beat as if it was grabbed by a hand. A sense of danger appeared, and he looked up at the sky.

A mysterious blue light was burning in the sky.

“Wha-“

In the blink of an eye, many blue light beams fell from the sky!

Boom!

The ground cracked open!

The area of hundreds of miles was all within the attack range. Apart from the bright blue light, no other colors could be seen. Half of the mountain was flattening in an instant. Terrifying craters appeared on the planet’s surface, like a dozen meteors hitting the planet at the same time!

At the edge of the explosion radius, Zeglin barely kept himself floating. He was covered in burn marks and was horrified. He had never expected to be attacked so suddenly by such a strong attack.

Unable to hold back, blood spilled out of Zeglin’s mouth. He felt as if his organs were going to shatter. As he backed away, he looked around anxiously, wanting to find the enemy.

“Who is it? Come out!”

Just as he said that, a blue meteor flew toward him from the edge of the sky rapidly, leaving a long trail, and stopped not far away.

“Black Star!”

Zeglin’s eyes opened wide with shock.

He did not expect Black Star to suddenly find him.

Han Xiao opened his helmet, stared at Zeglin, and snorted.

“There’s indeed someone controlling the Six Nations, or they wouldn’t have acted so strangely. Speak, why did you target Planet Aquamarine?”

Since he was already putting on an act, he might as well do the whole show. Han Xiao acted as if he did not know that he was the target of Stephanie and the others, and he acted as if he was certain that Zeglin was the last mastermind behind all this.

Since there were definitely more enemies other than Zeglin, him striking suddenly would mess up with their plan and get him the high ground. Without the Observer’s Mark, he would only be able to wait for the enemies to attack him. It would be too passive that way, and there would very likely be unrelated casualties.

Now, however, he could choose the battlefield and attack the enemies first.

After confirming Zeglin’s appearance, Han Xiao had locked onto Zeglin’s rough coordinates with the spaceship radar before using more than ten Psionic Sky Cannons to bombard the area. There was no need to be careful when fighting in this desolate region.

The power of one Psionic Sky Cannon was higher than an Eye of God.

He did not know that Stephanie and the gang’s choice of the battlefield was Black Star City. The Observer’s Mark had helped Black Star City escape its fate of being destroyed, not turning it into the battlefield of more than a dozen Calamity Grades.

Psychics were even more vulnerable than Mechanics, and seeing that Zeglin was heavily injured, Han Xiao knew that his attack was very effective.

Zeglin hastily turned his mind into a server through the psychic mark in his brain and shared his vision with Stephanie and the rest.

“Sh*t, I’ve been discovered. Quick, come save me!”

Stephanie was surprised. “Black Star is indeed as cautious as I thought. He’s very observant too… However, he’s only discovered you.”

Black Star had discovered Zeglin and attacked him directly. This had messed up Stephanie’s plan, but she felt reassured upon seeing Han Xiao’s attitude.

She connected Han Xiao’s actions and realized that Black Star definitely did something to the Six Nations that led him to discover Zeglin, thinking that he was the last and only enemy. However, Black Star did not know Zeglin’s motive and did not know that there were still nine more people waiting to ambush him. He only thought that his enemy’s target was Planet Aquamarine. In this case, the situation was still in her control-Black Star did not discover that this was a trap for him.

“We only have one choice now. Change the plan and attack Black Star straight away. He has not discovered us yet. Zeglin, do your best to stall him. We’re heading over now.”

Having made the decision, Stephanie felt confident.

Black Star thought that Zeglin was the only enemy, so when the nine of them all appeared, Black Star would definitely be surprised!

Stephanie and the rest were rather far from Zeglin. It would take some time for them to arrive even with Calamity Grade speeds.

Half of Zeglin’s heart froze.

He was heavily injured, and the opponent was a Mechanic that could use psionic energy, who also happened to have the Indestructible Body title. He knew clearly that he was no match for Han Xiao. Without saying a word, Zeglin turned around and started escaping

“Want to escape? Do you think that’s possible?”

Han Xiao clapped his hands. The Army Boxes arrived instantly and turned into an enormous mechanical army that shrouded Zeglin in an instant.

The Psychic class countered the Mechanic, but the Mechanic class also countered the Psychic class. After all, psychic attacks were useless against machines-only telekinesis would have an effect.

Boom!

The long-range units and the artillery units shot psionic beams one after another, penetrating Zeglin’s Psychic barrier again and again. Mechanical soldiers waved their multifunctional weapons with electromagnetic, shock, high temperature, laser, and other attacks, slashing through Zeglin time and time again, leaving him with scars of all sorts.

Zeglin ran with all his might, but he was surrounded. The new generation mechanical army enhanced by the Truth Mechanic bonuses was many levels stronger than before.

Without needing Han Xiao to do anything, Zeglin was already in a dire situation. His health was steadily reducing.

Han Xiao was giving his machines Mechanical Force bonuses at the side while paying attention to the surroundings at all times. He attacked to lure the enemies out, but he still did not know how many hunters there were. Thus, he kept his guard up.

After fighting for a while, Zeglin was covered in wounds and blood.

“Argh!” Zeglin roared with rage. His psychic energy turned into an enormous spiral drill, covering him as he tried to escape the encirclement of the mechanical army.

He was at his limit, and this was his last attack-he was betting his life on escaping.

The psychic drill penetrated one layer of encirclement after another, almost penetrating the army.

However, at this moment, the shield team suddenly gathered before Zeglin. They activated their Psionic Shields at the same time, which then fused with each other and turned into colossal Psionic Barrier.

The invisible psionic drill and the thick Psionic Barrier clashed!

Energy debris shot out from the location of the impact, like the sparks from cutting through metal.

The drill’s impact lasted quite a while before weakening. Zeglin’s eyes opened wide with regrethe could not penetrate this Psionic Barrier.

Out of exhaustion, he felt sleepy. This was the side effect of overusing psychic energy. Usually, he would be able to recover after a short while, but he was now under siege!

The moment that Zeglin’s body stiffened, countless psionic beams landed on him.

Boom!

Blue explosions appeared continuously!

Blood and flash separated, incinerated the moment they left his body.

Mechanical soldiers slashed Zeglin’s body with high temperature weapons, making him spin around in midair.

Slash!

An arm flew out.

Slash!

A leg this time!

Boom!

The next second, the dozens of mechanical soldiers attacked together. Zeglin was sliced into minced meat in an instant. His body exploded like a firework. Blood fell like rain.

Dead on the spot!

The mechanical armies all stopped moving. A cold wind blew past, bringing the only sound to the dead silent battlefield.

Han Xiao was stunned. The battle had ended quicker than he expected. If he remembered correctly, this was the first Calamity Grade to have been killed by his mechanical army.

My god, my virtuous mechanical army has killed someone.

Though, this guy was a little too vulnerable…

Han Xiao scratched the stubble on his chin.

If he did not have so many tanky talents, with his Endurance, he would only have a little more than 70,000 health. Psychics were strong in attack but weak in defense-this was a known fact. If Zeglin did not only think about escaping the encirclement but attacked him with psychic attacks, Han Xiao might have been injured a little.

Sadly, it seemed like Zeglin feared his Indestructible Body title and did not have the guts to attack him.

Killing Zeglin in a duel was a welcomed surprise. Not only did this weaken the enemies’ overall strength, but the Promotion mission on his interface was also displayed as ‘Completed’.

This meant that, if Han Xiao wanted to, he could go through his Promotion at any time to complete his Race Evolution!

Han Xiao felt relaxed.

Knowing that he could go through Promotion anytime, he was more confident.

The Experience that he had was more than enough for him to level up to 195 right after his Promotion, reaching the maximum level limit of Truth Mechanic.

At his current stage, being able to maintain such fast leveling speed was thanks to his savings in Version

2.0.

At this time, the sound of the sound barrier breaking appeared.

Hu!

A few people flew over from the edge of the sky and stopped in midair. It was Stephanie and the others. They all looked at what was left of Zeglin, and their expressions changed.

In the short time it had taken them to travel there, Black Star had already killed Zeglin?

Stephanie squinted. She had no emotion toward her teammates, so she was not angry, just staring at Han Xiao.

“He really is very strong. His Excellency Thousand Shadows will definitely like him.”

Not planning to explain anything to Han Xiao, Stephanie made a sign, signaling for the others to spread out and surround Han Xiao. They blocked all of Han Xiao’s escape routes and looked at Han Xiao.

Stephanie stared at Han Xiao’s face, looking forward to seeing his terrified and shocked expression of realizing that he had fallen into a trap.

Seeing this, Han Xiao put on his helmet and covered his face. He had already successfully lured the enemies out, so he was too lazy to continue his Oscar spirit.

Stephanie was disappointed and lost her excitement. Although she knew that Black Star was definitely shocked and was only controlling his expression to not show his enemies, she still wanted to see the panicking expression of her prey. Sadly, it did not go as she hoped it would.

Nine Calamity Grades… Hmm, this is probably all.

Han Xiao was secretly relieved. If he was alone, he would definitely have had a very tough fight. Luckily, he had planned ahead and found helpers.

Phillip had already called Wilton, Nagakin, and the others to reinforce him. He just had to hold on for a while—he was not as vulnerable as Zeglin.

Furthermore, he had discovered something huge that he did not expect.

Under the mechanical suit helmet, Han Xiao stared at the enemies’ leader, Stephanie, sizing her up. He then smiled.

He recognized this woman.

Chapter 672 Suddenly Clear

The moment Han Xiao saw Stephanie, he felt that she looked familiar. As he looked at her carefully, his heart skipped a beat.

He did not recognize the other hunters, but he was familiar with this woman!

Many players in his previous life had known Stephanie. She was very active during the Calamity of the Supers version. She was a subordinate of the Beyond Grade A from the Abyss of Stars, (Thousand Shadows]. She fought for Thousand Shadows with countless Supers as pawns, including many players that teamed up to kill her. In the end, she died in a battle while being surrounded by many forces… or she was finally freed.

After that, a related Dungeon Crystal appeared. Stephanie was inside the dungeon as a hidden boss. There was a chance of obtaining an extremely rare reward by defeating her. In the later stages of Han Xiao’s previous life, with an extremely high 87.6% player repeat rate, she entered the list of top hundred hard workers and received the honorable title ‘Lady Stephanie’!

At that stage, the player count of Galaxy was dozens of times greater than the player count of Version 2.0. The number of players online at the same time was more than ten million. The fact that more than eighty percent of players had repeated Stephanie’s dungeon before represented its popularity!

It was a little embarrassing to mention, but Han Xiao had fought Stephanie with at least three hundred different accounts. He could not have been more familiar with her.

Han Xiao did not expect to recognize one of the enemies, so he was surprised.

Initially, he did not know who the mastermind was. Now that he had seen Stephanie, everything became clear, and he found the truth.

It was Thousand Shadows!

No wonder, no wonder, everything connects now… Han Xiao was excited. If the mastermind was indeed Thousand Shadows, he knew why the hunters were capturing Supers.

It was to provide ‘shadows’ for Thousand Shadows!

Thousand Shadows’ ability was very strange. He could absorb other individuals and turn them into his underlings, who were called ‘shadows’. The shadows still retained most of their personality, but they had a sense of belonging and loyalty toward Thousand Shadows that could not be erased. In this condition, their memories were slightly altered.

The shadows slept inside Thousand Shadows, but at the same time, they could act for him.

The abilities of the shadows were preserved, or even enhanced, after fusing with Thousand Shadows. Thousand Shadows had lived for too long. No one knew how many shadows were in his body. He was an extremely mysterious member of The Ancient Ones.

Han Xiao recalled a secret that a player had found in his previous life. In order to live longer, Thousand Shadows sought help from specialized people and gave his Esper ability vitality. He then gave up his body and turned into a strange ‘Esper Being’. Usual methods could not kill him. He had lived for close to a thousand years and was a member of The Ancient Ones.

Discovering the truth, Han Xiao was feeling gloomy. Thousand Shadows liked high-quality shadows, so he probably would not give up easily on Han Xiao. Han Xiao absolutely did not want to become a part of Thousand Shadows; he would lose himself and become a puppet!

Stephanie was Thousand Shadows’ shadow. Her life story was rather tragic, too. Before she died, her true self returned for a moment and explained her origins.

Back at the start of the exploration era, before the Primordial Ones had been born, when the war between the three Universal Civilizations extended throughout the entire universe…

She was born in an era of war, an Antarrian. Her civilization’s mother planet was dragged into the war. She displayed extraordinary talent from a young age, so she was chosen as a warrior, fighting for her home and quickly growing.

In a short period of a little more than ten years, she had already become the protector of her home, at the age normal Galaxy Human Race women were at their peak. At such a young age, she became the top protector of Antarr. She was so strong that even the three civilizations had heard of her.

However, a gigantic war broke out between the Crimson Dynasty and Federation of Light that used an entire Star Cluster as the battlefield. The Antarrians were affected. Their mother planet fell, and their colonial planets turned into ruins under the Crimson Dynasty’s iron hoofs. Only a handful of people escaped with spaceships used for migrationStephanie was one of the survivors.

People in wars were realistic. The survivors had no time to miss their mother planet and left the battlefield quickly, looking for a new home to rise again. However, an unwelcome guest had his eyes on Stephanie… Thousand Shadows.

Thousand Shadows was originally from a long-lived race and had already lived for many years. At that time, he had yet to give up his body and was not Beyond Grade A. He wanted Stephanie’s power, so he intercepted the spaceship that the Antarr survivors were in.

In the ending, the Antarr Civilization was another extinguished civilization, and Stephanie became one of Thousand Shadows’ shadows.

The history only recorded what happened—the cold words could not record emotions. The motives, feelings, and the reactions of everyone back then became mysteries. In Han Xiao’s previous life, after Stephanie became a part of the dungeon, some players looked for her history out of curiosity. From a few descriptions in some history books, they came to know that some historians believed that if Stephanie did not ‘mysteriously disappear’, she might have become one of the [Primordial Ones).

However, during the exploration era, there had been way too many Calamity Grades that had a lot of potential, and most of them had died in battle. The Primordial Ones were the first group of Beyond Grade As that walked out of the mountains of corpses and seas of blood alive. Thousand Shadows was not one of the Primordial Ones. He was always very mysterious, only appearing as a Beyond Grade A near the end of the exploration era.

In just one look, these thoughts flashed through Han Xiao’s mind. He took a deep breath. The true identity of the enemy had been discovered-it was definitely very stressful to be Thousand Shadows’ enemy, but that was something for later.

The most imminent problem was dealing with nine Calamity Grades.

Especially Stephanie.

With a push, a beam of (Psionic Impact-Whale) headed right toward Stephanie. The enormous mechanical army around Han Xiao started to move toward all the enemies.

Bang bang bang!

Countless Psionic Cannons crisscrossed, and mechanical soldiers approached the enemies with weapons and shields in their hands. Stephanie and the rest moved, too.

The battle erupted; the scene instantly became chaotic!

Han Xiao never overestimated himself. Although his mechanical army was much stronger than before, facing nine experienced Calamity Grades was still beyond his capabilities. Among the nine enemies, there were two Mechanics. One of them was a Cannon Master, shooting out large beams from extremely high caliber cannons, shattering mechanical soldiers one after another.

The other one used the Galactic Stronghold Style. A several-hundred-meter-tall fortress expanded from his hands. It had extremely strong firepower and its own guards.

Clank!

Metal clashed against metal nonstop, electrical sparkles replaced blood, and scrap metal and wires fell like rain.

Among the rest of the enemies, there were two Pugilists, one Mage, and four Espers. Stephanie was one of the Espers!

Stephanie’s ability was the most mysterious. Like a diving eagle, she headed right for Han Xiao in the middle of the army. Everywhere she passed, the nearly mechanical soldiers all shattered. The air around her looked like it was bent by high temperature. From very far away, she raised her hand and aimed at Han Xiao.

With just this one move, several notifications popped up on Han Xiao’s interface.

You have entered the (Slightly Slowed] state. -12% Dexterity. Duration: 8 seconds!

You have entered the (Slightly Weakened) state. -6% all attributes. Duration: 8 seconds!

You have entered the (Slightly Confused) state. +10% chance of being interrupted while using abilities. Duration: 8 seconds!

You have entered the [Abnormally Excited] state. Your attack is fluctuating at 80%-110%. Duration: 8 seconds!

You have entered the (Light Illusion] state. -10% accuracy, -10% perception. Duration: 8 seconds!

You have entered the (Slightly Tired) state. +8% expense in energy and stamina. Duration: 10 seconds!

Your Ability (Steel Body) is activated. All True Damage is nullified!

Chapter 673 Are You Surprised? Are You Shocked?

Han Xiao felt his body become heavier and slower. A ton of debuffs were applied to him in the blink of an eye.

It’s really still the same. Han Xiao’s mouth twitched, and he was not surprised at all.

Having completed Stephanie’s dungeon a few hundred times, he was extremely familiar with Stephanie. Even though the Stephanie inside the dungeon was a weaker version, her abilities did not change. Han Xiao knew her combat style like the back of his hand. Giving the enemies a bunch of debuffs at the start was exactly the same as what she would do in the dungeon.

Without hesitation, Han Xiao backed away with Void Travel. Stephanie was stronger in close range battles and had bonus damage against metal. He did not want his mechanical suit to be destroyed so quickly.

Luckily, I got rid of that Psychic called Zeglin, or things would be even tougher now.

Not stopping at all, Han Xiao controlled the mechanical army to execute the stalling strategy in Phillip’s database, preventing Stephanie and the others’ momentum of rushing toward him. Meanwhile, he used the army as a barrier and moved within, approaching the Mage and two Mechanic enemies occasionally, trying to deal some damage.

In front of nine experienced Calamity Grade, the mechanical army was under a great deal of pressure. It became a tough fight very quickly. Machines fell broken one after another and flew back up after Han Xiao used (Waste Modification) on them, returning to the battlefield.

The battlefield was chaotic. The tactical screen in Han Xiao’s helmet displayed the various data as Han Xiao calmly analyzed the situation.

Stephanie disrupted the electromagnetic waves over a large area, so Han Xiao could not contact Wilton and the others. Out of caution, the Phillip sub-program that he had left for Wilton came in handy. Although he could not receive the location information of the reinforcements, he was certain that they were heading over. His current mission was not to fight them head-on but stall them and wait for the reinforcements to arrive.

Boom!

The impact from ten Calamity Grades fighting shook the mountains and the ground.

Even the weather changed. It was initially bright and clear, but the sky was filled with dark clouds and lightning bolts. Han Xiao kept shifting the battlefield away from the populated areas on the Northern Continent and toward unpopulated glaciers. Everywhere they passed, ice that had formed over millions of years cracked open, mountains shook, avalanches occurred, and the landscape was in a mess.

The impacts of the fight between Calamity Grades were bringing disasters to this planet. With the battlefield as the center, earthquakes spread out to the entire Northern Continent. Near sea areas far from the battlefield, the sky darkened, and the sea was filled with violent waves. Tsunamis and tornados collided with cities near the sea.

“It’s a tsunami, run!”

“Wh—What’s going on?”

The residents of the cities near the sea on the Northern Continent were horrified by the natural disasters and ran for their lives.

Of course, Han Xiao could not see the reactions of those people. However, he did not need to see to know that the aftershock of their battle was already creating disasters on Planet Aquamarine.

“This is why they purposely chose here to be the battlefield.” Han Xiao’s expression was hostile. He dodged an invisible tornado-shaped impact wave from Stephanie once again, and the mechanical soldiers behind him were broken into pieces.

They had shifted the battlefields many times, and the battle was reaching the climax.

The blue light in the sky started burning again. It was another Psionic Sky Cannon attack controlled by Phillip!

Boom!

The mechanical army quickly avoided the bombardment area. Stephanie and the others did, too, but the fortress of that enemy Mechanic moved very slowly and could not get out of the attack range. Its shield shattered, and the fortress turned into broken pieces.

This was the enemy’s second fortress that had been destroyed.

Using this opportunity, Han Xiao retreated slowly while fighting. They were already at the edge of the north side, and he started to shift toward the sea.

“Problematic Sky Cannons.” Stephanie frowned. She looked up, pointed at one of the Pugilists, and said, “You, go up there and destroy Black Star’s Sky Cannons.”

The Pugilist nodded. Flames shot out from under his feet as he rose up like a rocket, turning into a black dot in an instant and heading toward outer space.

“Don’t waste time. Long duration battles are Black Star’s strength. Quickly restrain him.”

Stephanie’s tone was impatient. She led the other teammates and dashed toward Han Xiao once again.

She knew that Black Star was difficult to kill, but her plan was not to kill him but capture him. However, Han Xiao was too swift. She did not have a chance to close the distance on Han Xiao. Only close-range combat would maximize the power of her Esper ability.

After chasing for a while, they clashed once again above the sea. The impact created waves thousands of feet high. Energy waves shot into the sea and formed enormous vortexes.

As the mechanical army’s numbers kept decreasing. Han Xiao started to show signs of fatigue. Suddenly, Han Xiao showed a flaw in his defenses. Stephanie’s eyes sparkled. She caught the opportunity and turned into a black shadow, appearing behind Han Xiao instantly as if she had teleported, then pressed her palm toward Han Xiao’s back.

This was the first time that she had used this ability in this battle. It was so she could surprise Black Star. As long as she managed to hit Black Star, his strength would decrease by at least ten percent temporarily!

However, the next moment, as if Han Xiao had expected this, he avoided her palm with a weird movement. Then, psionic energy appeared between his hands as he patted her chest.

Bang!

The light blue Psionic Impact ring exploded. Stephanie was blown close to one thousand meters away. She rubbed her hurting chest and frowned, surprised by Han Xiao’s reaction speed.

This sudden attack had no signs at all, so Black Star only had microseconds to react.

On the other side, Han Xiao was secretly relieved. Stephanie was a boss-type character. Just like him, she had many abilities other than her Esper abilities. If one was unfamiliar with her, it would be very easy to be tricked. However, he knew Stephanie’s abilities all too well, so there was no chance that he would be tricked. He did not farm that dungeon hundreds of times for nothing.

He’s stronger than I thought. Stephanie squinted. Just as she was about to attack again, she suddenly noticed that there were a few high energy individuals approaching very quickly. Her expression changed as she stopped in place and did not act recklessly.

Han Xiao’s eyes sparkled. He looked up and saw six shooting stars landing from the sky, hovering above.

The flames extinguished, revealing Wilton and the others. Looking at the shocked and confused expressions on Stephanie and the others’ faces, Wilton snorted. He raised his hand, and the others finally realized that he was holding a person.

Stephanie looked closer, and her face suddenly changed.

The person that Wilton was holding was the Pugilist whom she had sent to destroy the Sky Cannons. He now had no signs of life at all. It was clear that he had been beaten to death.

These six people are enemies… The expressions of Stephanie and the other six Calamity Grades all turned bitter.

Wilton let go of the corpse, letting it fall into the sea and get swept away by the waves, disappearing.

“Black Star, we’re late.” Wilton nodded.

Han Xiao smirked.

The reinforcements had arrived!

He looked at Stephanie, shrugged, and chuckled.

“Are you surprised? Are you shocked?”

Seeing that Black Star looked like this was completely expected, Stephanie could not remain calm. She was completely dumbfounded.

He sought help long ago?

And he called six Calamity Grades?

Why would he ask so many Calamity Grades to settle a surface civilization internal matter?

Unless…

Stephanie’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Black Star knew that we were planning to ambush him?

How is that possible?

Chapter 674 Intense Battle and Disasters

Boom!

As the reinforcements had arrived, Stephanie and her colleagues had no time to react as Wilton and the rest instantly joined the battle.

It was a battle of seven against eight. The average level of the enemies was higher than Wilton and the rest, but the numbers now matched.

For a short time, Wilton and the other five were able to deal with one enemy each, making things so much easier for Han Xiao. He could concentrate on dealing with Stephanie and the enemy Mechanic.

Swoosh!

Like bolts of lightning, fifteen Calamity Grade Supers fought above the sea, stirring up the tide.

While Stephanie fought the mechanical army, she suppressed the shock in her heart. As a Calamity Grade who had experienced hundreds of battles, she was able to quickly adjust to sudden situations.

She could not figure out how Black Star had discovered their ambush, but it was the reality, and the only thing she could do was deal with it.

Stephanie’s brain worked quickly as she analyzed the situation.

They have six Grade A Supers. Even with me being here, we won’t be able to defeat Black Star’s helpers within a short time. It will take a lot of time to capture Black Star…

Stephanie frowned.

Meanwhile, two mechanical armies collided midair. The colorful lights from the energy lit up the dark sky.

Using the army as cover, Han Xiao used Void Travel and appeared right in front of the opponent Mechanic. With a short combo of Mountain Ape Throw and Psionic Impact, Han Xiao broke a few of the enemy Mechanic’s bones. The enemy Mechanic endured the pain and backed up. Han Xiao activated his Psionic Shield to block an invisible wave coming far away from Stephanie, making the sound of suppressed thunder.

Boom boom boom!

The two sides fought intensely. As Han Xiao fought, he was also observing Stephanie.

His reinforcements had arrived, so the enemies would definitely react to it.

Stephanie only had two choices-retreat and look for an opportunity in the future or continue fighting and defeat Wilton and the others, betting that Han Xiao did not have any more reinforcements.

Just as Han Xiao was speculating, Stephanie put her hands together. Her body suddenly started vibrating at a high frequency unobservable to the naked eye. Chain reactions started to occur in the space around her.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In the midst of battle, Wilton and the others suddenly felt like their hearts skipped a beat. As all kinds of debuffs were applied to their bodies, they felt their bodies become slower and more difficult to control.

Xiu!

Again, Stephanie used her teleportation ability, turning into a shadow and suddenly appearing behind Wilton.

This did not work on Han Xiao, but Wilton clearly could not react in time before Stephanie’s palm pressed on his back.

Hum!

This press felt soft and hardly had any strength to it, but Wilton’s entire body trembled. He felt a strange vibration entering his body. All his muscles and bones started to vibrate at the same frequency.

Just as this thought appeared, an intense pain erupted in his body!

Inside Wilton’s body, the high-frequency vibration caused his muscle fibers to break, his bones to crack, his organs to tear, and his blood vessels to explode!

After just being softly touched by Stephanie, Wilton was instantly covered in blood.

“Captain!”

The other two Purple Crystal Grade A Supers noticed the incident. Their expressions drastically changed as they hastily left their opponents behind, wanting to rush over to help.

Expressionless, Stephanie’s palm on Wilton’s back suddenly grabbed tighter. Her fingers sunk into his body then twisted violently.

“Argh!” Wilton’s eyes were completely red.

In the almost unbearable pain, he punched backward with all his might. Having already achieved her goal, Stephanie did not fight head-on with a Pugilist and backed away.

Wilton’s back armor was shattered, showing his skin. A large area of muscles and bones were bent and shattered, mushed together in a spiral, and bones protruded from under the skin. It looked terrifying

In just an instant, Stephanie had heavily injured a Calamity Grade Pugilist. The faces of Wilton and the rest all drastically changed—Stephanie’s destructive power was beyond their expectations.

Han Xiao’s eyes turned firm as he realized what Stephanie’s plan was. This woman was not going to retreat. She had chosen the second plan-continue fighting

With what he knew about Stephanie, this was not surprising

Stephanie had been active during the times of war in the exploration era, so she was able to carefully plan before acting and dared fight enemies head-on. She was not one to easily give up on a mission.

This means that this will be a tough fight. Unless we crush them, they will not retreat no matter what.

Han Xiao clenched his teeth. Such enemies were clearly more difficult to deal with.

Stephanie was very strong. The name of her Esper ability was Resonance Coordination. It sounded ordinary, but it was an extremely powerful Esper ability. There were tons of ways to use it, and its destructive power was terrifying.

As the frequency of the resonance could penetrate many defensive measures and cause structural damage, Stephanie’s every attack had high True Damage and armor-penetrating damage. Her ability to penetrate defenses was exceptionally strong, and she could largely reduce the opponent’s defense.

Han Xiao was not afraid of True Damage; the Germinal Organization leader was still blessing him from heaven.

However, his reinforcements did not have the [Steel Body) talent. Stephanie’s ability was more than enough to make them fearful.

Wilton and the others were elites at most. The quality and quantity of their talents and abilities were inferior compared to the hidden boss-level Stephanie.

Stephanie’s Resonance Coordination not only had terrifying single target lethality, it was also just as powerful when used as an AOE. Through the vibration frequency, she could give a ton of debuffs to the enemies within an area. When facing weaker Supers, she could even create ultrasound and infrasound to shatter their organs.

This meant that be it against one or multiple opponents, weaker or the same grade, they were all Stephanie’s strength.

She was even more difficult to deal with than Ember!

Han Xiao had once fought alongside Jayne, whose nickname was Seaquake. Just like Jayne, Stephanie’s Esper ability was also related to vibration. However, Stephanie’s Esper ability strength, range, and applicability were all far superior to Jayne’s. This was a high-grade vibration-type Esper ability!

She’s a murder machine. I can’t let her get to the others. I’m the only one that can face her…

That thought flashed through Han Xiao’s mind. He turned the mechanical army’s cannons around and aimed at Stephanie, firing countless rounds and forming a dense net of attacks. At the same time, Han Xiao headed toward Stephanie and fought her at close range.

Stephanie’s expression did not look delightful. She wanted to get rid of Black Star’s helpers first, but Han Xiao had come to her and held her back.

Under the onslaught of attacks, Stephanie could not afford to get distracted.

The punches of both sides landed continuously on each other, making loud bangs. She was completely stalled by Han Xiao and could not get away. Seeing this, Wilton breathed a sigh of relief. He did not dare fight Stephanie; Black Star actively dealing with the most dangerous enemy made him feel relieved. He glanced at Han Xiao, clenched his teeth, and found his own opponent to fight.

Within the mechanical army, both sides clashed with each other time after time. The aftershock formed countless storms, spreading and expanding in all directions.

Boom!

The beams from the Sky Cannons landed on the sea nonstop, creating tsunamis hundreds of meters high.

Thunderstorms finally started to pour from the dark

sky.

As their title suggested, the battle between more than ten Calamity Grades was indeed a calamity to the planet.

After fighting for a few hours, there were now only twelve of them left. The many attacks from the Psionic Sky Cannons had finally killed the opponent Mechanic.

A Godoran Calamity Grade had been killed by the enemy, while that enemy was also heavily injured by a round of focus fire from Han Xiao’s mechanical army then finished by Wilton.

Three Calamity Grades had died. The battle was devastating. It was now a battle of six against six!

“Huu… huu…”

The Mountain Ape mechanical suit was heavily damaged. Han Xiao had already repaired it three times using (Waste Modification). He gasped heavily for air, dragged his exhausted body, and collided with Stephanie time after time.

Stephanie was not in a good state either. She was bleeding from her forehead, and her body was covered in wounds. Her clothes were almost all torn, but her eyes were still vicious.

The mechanical army around became much sparser. The two of them did not hold back and fought fiercely like beasts.

Neither of them had much stamina left, and they were quickly recovering. They were in a stalemate.

She has boss-type Molding Talents. She has a lot of energy, health, and very fast recovery speed. It will take days to determine the winner if I keep fighting this way

Han Xiao clenched his teeth. He had only been able to gain the upper hand with his health-mana cycle, mechanical army, and immunity to True Damage. Stephanie was Thousand Shadows’ shadow; her ability was enhanced, and her level was most likely around 240. She was undoubtedly a top-notch Grade A+.

The longer the battle lasted, the greater his chance of winning. Han Xiao was still stronger in terms of long duration battles. However, he could not delay the battle any longer.

Just one Calamity Grade would be able to destroy a planet’s surface. The disasters brought by a battle between so many Calamity Grades were already starting to affect the entire Planet Aquamarine.

The natural disasters caused by the aftershocks of battle were irreversible!

Even if they stopped immediately, the disasters they caused before would still continue to spread by themselves.

If they fought for a few more days, living beings on Planet Aquamarine would probably all be dead.

The stalemate has to be broken. The two sides are now on par. As long as I become a little stronger, I will be able to break the fragile balance!

Having made up his mind, Han Xiao dived right into the violent sea without saying a word.

He could go through his Promotion at any time, only that it would take some time. Under Phillip’s control, a part of the mechanical army in the sky stayed to restrain the enemies, while the rest followed Han Xiao into the sea to protect him when needed.

Stephanie frowned and glanced through Wilton and the rest. After hesitating for a moment, she had made up her mind-she did not use this opportunity to eliminate the other enemies but followed Han Xiao and dived into the sea.

Her rich experiences told her that no matter what goal Black Star had, it was best to stop him.

As the strongest Supers of both sides went into the sea, everyone’s expression changed, not knowing why Black Star had suddenly split up the battlefield.

Could it be that he did not want to be disturbed by the others and wanted to fight Stephanie in the sea?

“Captain, should we go down to back him up?”

Wilton clenched his teeth and said, “No need. Just do what we’re supposed to-do not let our opponents follow them down. Let Black Star deal with that woman.”

He felt that Black Star did not need reinforcements, and subconsciously, he did not want to face Stephanie.

That woman was too dangerous. He would not have to endure the pressure if he left her to Black Star.

Although he had been ordered to back Han Xiao up, Wilton was not willing to sacrifice his life for it.

At the same time in Black Star City, reports of natural disasters kept being sent to Bennett’s table. The satellites had discovered that the source of these disasters was the battlefield of Han Xiao and the others.

Many officials and professionals were crowded in the office, anxiously reporting the situation to Bennett.

“A few hours ago, earthquakes occurred in many areas on the Northern Continent. Many fissures and rifts appeared. Earthquakes caused tsunamis. Thirteen coastline cities have already been destroyed, causing incalculable casualties!”

“According to the satellite report, His Excellency Black Star is now fighting with enemies on the sea. The storms and tsunamis caused are approaching the other continents while growing in power. In about three hours’ time, they will reach land. The various nations have already started the emergency evacuation.”

“An hour ago, eleven new earthquake sources appeared in various locations around the world. The degree and range of earthquakes are still expanding. According to our calculations, within ten days, 24.7% of all land areas will be affected by earthquakes.”

“Also…”

Bennett listened to one report after another while anxiously walking back and forth. This was completely different from the Mutation Disaster; these natural disasters were things that could not be resolved.

“Send out rescue teams and support the affected areas as much as possible. For the time being, forget about the Six Nations’ doings.” Bennett issued his orders before pausing momentarily. “When will the disasters reach Black Star City?”

Black Star City was inland. The disasters would not reach there so soon.

An official gulped to wet his throat, shivered, and said, “According to the calculations of the research and development department, if His Excellency Black Star continues to battle, the seriousness of the disasters will multiply rapidly. In about 4 hours 35 minutes, the chain disasters they cause will exceed the critical point…”

“What will happen when it exceeds the critical point?” Bennett’s heart skipped a beat.

“Unless we leave this planet, we can only wait for our deaths.”

Bennett’s fists tightened.

Boom!

The fallout of a battle between more than ten Calamity Grades created enormous whirlpools all over the sea in the area.

The violent winds sucked the seawater up, forming water tornados that extended all the way into the sky, connecting the sea and the clouds.

It was a doomsday scene above the sea.

The moment that Han Xiao dived into the sea, those noises suddenly became faint. The seawater weakened the sound coming from above, but the sound of the powerful tides and streams under the sea was amplified. It was as if he was in the middle of hundreds of enormous drums being played together, surrounded by stereo sound effects.

The radar showed that Stephanie was following behind, and Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.

I can't let her get close during the Promotion.

Han Xiao ordered the mechanical army around him to turn back and hold back Stephanie while he quickly dived deeper.

The ocean before his eyes was dark, turning from deep blue to black in the distance. The visibility was low, there was no source of light anywhere and no end in sight. It was even darker than the universe.

Fortunately, I don't have Thalassophobia¹.

The ocean was the hotbed of life. Many ancient creatures lived in the sea of Planet Aquamarine. However, at this point, all the marine lives of the area had escaped. The ocean was completely devoid of any sign of life.

Stephanie was stalled by the mechanical army. Han Xiao quickly dived deeper and found a trench that had formed a few hours ago.

Here will do.

Han Xiao immediately opened the interface, selected the Completed Promotion mission, and activated it.

A shiver in his marrow and soul quickly passed through his entire body. He was familiar with this Promotion feeling.

This time, a chain of notifications popped up on the interface.

_____________________

[The Ultimate Trial] Current Progress: 50/50

Level 180 Promotion Mission completed! Endurance bonus increased! 1 Endurance = 120 HP = 130 Stamina

You have taken another step on the path of evolution. You have ascended in the hierarchy of life.

Detected Race: [Chaos Observer (Human Form)]…

Randomly drawing 8 compatible evolution paths…

Drawing complete!

Please choose one of the following 8 options for your Race Evolution.

Warning! The evolution process is irreversible. Please choose carefully! [Appendix—Evolution Path Feature Descriptions]

[X-type Galaxy Human Race]—67% Compatibility

[Void Stroller (Human Form)]—78% Compatibility

[Dark Shadow (Human Form]—72% Compatibility

[Void Disciple (Human Form)]—71% Compatibility

[Void Distorter (Human Form)]—69% Compatibility

[Void Whisperer (Spirit Form)]—84% Compatibility

[Void Slime]—55% Compatibility

[Octa-claw Race]—31% Compatibility

_____________________

First, Han Xiao eliminated the non-Void race choices. The octopus-looking Octa-claw Race was not even within his consideration, and Void Slime was way too weird.

Void Whisperer was a spirit form choice, suitable for Mages and Psychics. Han Xiao had such a strong body, so he was not willing to give it up.

The only possible choices were the four human form evolution paths.

Han Xiao quickly scanned through and immediately made a decision.

Void Lord's core enhanced his Void Genes. As Han Xiao had jumped into the Void Race evolution system from the human race, it was kind of like a midlife career change for him. Hence, he naturally could not compete with those that started as Void Beings. However, the genetic substances that had Void Genes in them such as the Void Lord core had enhanced his evolution progress in the Void Race system, allowing him to catch up.

With the benefit from the Void Lord core, an option that was supposed to appear in the next Race Evolution had appeared this time. This was a higher level being on the Void Race evolution system. According to his data, this being was one entire level higher than the other options on the evolution chain!

Be it the current attribute bonuses or the evolution potential in the future, this species was the best choice!

Han Xiao quickly selected his choice.

_____________________

Selection complete. Undergoing Race Evolution… Evolution complete.

Your race has been changed to: [Void Distorter (Human Form)].

Molecular structure improved, organ structure strengthened, metabolism changed, and adaptability enhanced…

Your potential aptitude has been improved!

You have received bonus attributes: +44 Strength, +83 Dexterity, +65 Endurance, +120 Intelligence, +92 Mystery, +34 Charisma, +1460 Energy. Energy Level bonus attributes have changed!

_____________________

Han Xiao's eyes widened rapidly, and a dim light appeared in his pupils.

All the cells and genes over his body started to change, and pain erupted in both his body and his mind. His vision kept going back and forth between Void Vision and reality. His brain was trembling.

His body greedily absorbed the energy of the Void Dimension. His entire body was emitting a mysterious gray and dark blue light.

If the level of Void Prowler and Chaos Observer were to be evaluated on the military scale, these two would be privates, and Void Distorter would be at the sergeant level!

This Race Evolution hugely enhanced his connection with the Void Dimension. His body seemed to have become a container, and Void Energy poured right into him, absorbed by every cell in his body.

His energy changed under the Void Energy erosion.

_____________________

You have received Void Energy bonuses!

+30% Energy recovery speed

+1000 Energy

You have received a new Energy Attribute: [Void]!

Your energy will now have Void characteristics.

_____________________

A new Energy Attribute!

Han Xiao was overjoyed. Enduring the immense pain, he quickly looked at the interface. The interface showed that he now had two Energy Attributes. One was the Mechanic class' magnetic attribute Mechanical Force, and the other was the new void attribute.

Han Xiao's joy was almost overflowing.

The change in Energy Attribute was not as obvious as character attributes, but it was very important. It could even change one's combat style.

Although the interface introduction was ambiguous, Han Xiao had already felt the change in the energy in his body during the Race Evolution. Furthermore, he remembered stuff from his previous life, so he knew very well what the [Void] attribute's effect was.

Energy Erosion!

The ability to transmit energy using the Void Dimension as the medium!

Both these characteristics were very powerful in battle, and they were suitable for any class!

The evolution was still going on. The Void Energy in his body started to saturate. The evolution process created an enormous vortex under the sea.

This attracted Stephanie's attention.

I can't let him do as he wishes!

Stephanie did not know what Han Xiao was doing, but that did not stop her from wanting to stop Han Xiao. She vibrated the seawater, shattering mechanical soldiers one after another, and cleared a path.

She directly headed to the middle of the undersea vortex and launched a powerful wave right at it.

Boom!

The vortex was shattered into streams in the blink of an eye. At the last moment, Han Xiao dodged being hit directly and was just pushed away by the fallout.

Stephanie was a powerful enemy. Han Xiao did not have time to slowly feel the changes in his body. He glanced at the various new talents and abilities on the interface before throwing tons of Experience into the interface, leveling up rapidly!

He leveled up fifteen times directly!

The level up notification popped up.

_____________________

[Truth Mechanic] leveled up to Level25 (max).

+450 Energy, +2 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +4 Endurance, +10 Intelligence.

You have received 7 Free Attribute Points and 1 Potential Point.

_____________________

As his class reached its maximum level, Han Xiao stopped leveling up.

As usual, he put all his Free Attribute Points into Intelligence.

His total level now was 195!

Before Han Xiao could look at the changes in his attributes, the tremendous increase in his strength made him feel like the rich and powerful energy was about to overflow from all the cells in his body and that he had to use it urgently.

Without hesitating, Han Xiao took back his Mountain Ape mechanical suit and dashed toward Stephanie.

This time, Stephanie finally saw what Han Xiao looked like now. Her expression changed.

Han Xiao's skin had become silver-gray with a crystal-like texture, sparkling with the light of energy. He had symmetrical deep blue patterns on his body. His entire body was covered with silver flames fueled by Void Energy. His silver hair was swaying in the water like a dancing flame.

His eyes looked like obsidians, and his pupils had become rice-sized white dots.

This appearance was similar to a Void Prowler, but the energy emitted was much stronger.

New Racial Talent—[Void Molt]!

What is th—

Stephanie was dumbfounded.

At this moment, Han Xiao opened his arms. Half of his palm reached into the Void Dimension. He bent his fingers like a claw and pulled down like tearing open a cloth.

"Try this!"

The next moment, the world before Stephanie's eyes was suddenly deformed.

She felt as if all her muscles, bones, nerves, and blood vessels were squeezed together then separated again. She felt as if she had become a piece of cloth and was twisted and bent by someone who was trying to squeeze the water out of her body.

In just a short moment, it felt like countless years to her. This indescribably strange feeling had exceeded most people's knowledge. It was like Stephanie had a dream. She forgot what the dream was about after she woke, but the sense of inferiority still lingered as if she had dreamed of something extremely horrifying.

While she was still confused, continuous pain suddenly exploded in every corner of her body!

Stephanie regained focus. Her expression dramatically changed, and she was about to retreat. To her shock, the seawater around her was all spinning at a high speed, generating a terrifying force that prevented her from escaping.

Sh*t! Stephanie was stunned.

The movements there transmitted to the sea surface as well. All the small vortexes in this area were shattered and fused into a gigantic vortex that seemingly could consume the sky!

Boom!

The ten Calamity Grades all stopped fighting and looked at the horrifying endless vortex under them

In their eyes, the ocean was no longer the ocean. It had become a galaxy, and this vortex was like a black hole.

Deep, mysterious, and terrifying!

Like the entrance of an endless abyss!

The people who had made this could only be Han Xiao and Stephanie.

"What have they done?" Wilton's eyes widened.

At the same time under the sea, it was as if Stephanie had been thrown into a washing machine, unable to control herself among the whirlpools, enduring the terrible forces tearing and damaging her.

At the center of the most peaceful whirlpool, Han Xiao grabbed tightly onto the Void Dimension. A huge force of resistance came from his hand. He could only maintain the current situation no matter how hard he tried. His energy was reducing at an astounding speed, releasing from his hands.

"This is marvelous!"

Even Han Xiao was startled by the effect of this attack.

This ability was indeed one of the new abilities from Void Distorter.

[Void Distortion]!

1. Thalassophobia is phobia of the deep sea.

Chapter 676 Broken Balance

After completing his Race Evolution, Han Xiao’s Racial Talents changed as well.

(Advanced Void Travel] was a shared talent for Void species, so it did not change. (Void Vision-Observer], (Chaos Entity – Release), and [Observer’s Mark] were gone, however, replaced by Void Distorter’s abilities.

The three new talents were (Void Molt), (Void Distortion), and (Void Ripple]

(Void Molt] was an enhancement ability. As his genes were enhanced by Void Energy, and he could enter a special state by burning energy with the Void attribute. In that state, all his attributes would increase, and the Void attribute of his energy would be enhanced as well.

Han Xiao’s current appearance was what he would look like when activating this ability.

Void Distorter’s signature talent was, of course, (Void Distortion), the ability to affect reality by pulling the Void Dimension. It was an ability with a large area of effect and a very high continuous consumption of mana. It would also send out psychic impacts to the enemies within the range.

With Han Xiao’s current strength, the range and power of (Void Distortion] were both remarkable, so this ability could be used regularly against enemies of the same grade.

The enormous whirlpool at the moment had been caused by Void Distortion. It had caught Stephanie by surprise, and she was being spun around nonstop.

(Void Ripple) was a single target damage ability. Its effect was concentrating Void Energy to unleash explosive damage on the enemy. Even Han Xiao was startled when he saw the theoretical damage numbers. Most of the damage dealt by this ability was True Damage.

Chaos Observer’s abilities are mainly supportive, while Void Distorter’s abilities are pure combat and destruction oriented.

Most of Void Distorter’s abilities were related to space. This Race Evolution gave him a total of four abilities. Furthermore, this evolution skipped an entire tier on the evolution chain, so his potential had grown a huge amount.

While still grabbing onto the Void Dimension and maintaining the gigantic whirlpool caused by Void Distortion, Han Xiao used the time to look at his attributes after the Promotion.

After calculating, the Race Evolution and fifteen-level increase had brought him a total of 132 Strength, 224 Dexterity, 220 Endurance, 507 Intelligence, 169 Mystery, 34 Charm, 5,850 Energy, and 11,300 Stamina.

It was amazing!

Han Xiao was very satisfied. He looked at his attributes on the interface.

Level: 195

Main Class: Mechanic

Race: Void Distorter (Human Form)

Attributes: 468 Strength, 898 Dexterity, 940 Endurance, 2633 Intelligence, 432 Mystery, 139 Charisma, 1 Luck

Free Attribute Points: 0

Potential Points: 15

Health: 196,560

Stamina: 154,720

Energy: 25,530 (Level12]

(Level12 Energy bonus attributes: +169 Strength, +239 Dexterity, +269 Endurance, +336 Intelligence, +206 Mystery, +32,520 Maximum Stamina, +352% Machinery Affinity (Super Electromagnetic Sense)]

Energy Rank: 20,170

Grade: A+

[Grade A Ranked Bonus: +10 Endurance, +8 All Resistances. +10% Highest Attribute, +5% Other Attributes, +30 Free Attribute Points, +5 Potential Points]

(You’re a Grade A+ Mechanic. Sadly, your brain is filled with muscles.]

Bullsh*t! My brain is filled with intelligence!

Han Xiao curled his lips and decided not to argue with the remarks.

Level 195, I’m finally Grade A+.

Han Xiao looked at the amount of Experience he had left. At this stage, the Experience cost of every level was extremely high, so leveling up fifteen times consecutively had cost him a lot of Experience.

He estimated that the remaining Experience should be able to level up ten or so times.

Upon arriving at Grade A+, he was now much stronger. Before his Promotion, he could defeat about ninety percent of all Calamity Grades, but now, Han Xiao felt that not many people in the same grade as him would be able to pose a threat.

He was now a top Calamity Grade!

However, knowing his limits, Han Xiao did not intend to mess with any Beyond Grade As.

At level 195, he was already a top Calamity Grade. However, he would only be able to reach Beyond Grade A at around level 240. Just this level difference was already enough to warn Han Xiao against doing anything.

After all, that was tens of levels of difference at the late stage. The strength difference between levels was much more significant than the earlier stages.

With my current strength, the most I can do is not be afraid of anyone in the same grade. Han Xiao was not going to get arrogant.

Having already spent more than half of his energy, Han Xiao stopped the Void Distortion. The enormous whirlpool was still there, but it gradually spun slowly. Without Han Xiao’s Void Distortion, Stephanie regained control of her body, immediately escaping the whirlpool and instantly shooting up to the ocean’s surface.

Han Xiao followed her and slowly flew up to the sky.

Wilton and the others saw that the two of them had finally come out of the ocean. They all looked over and were all shocked. Being covered in burning silver flames, Han Xiao looked just like a Pugilist. While Stephanie was wet, wounded everywhere, and had a fearful expression on her face.

The others realized what had happened. Clearly, the two of them had gotten into a huge fight under the sea, and Black Star had used some kind of ability and created this enormous whirlpool, which had wounded Stephanie badly.

“Advance!” Han Xiao led the mechanical army and charged forward, not giving Stephanie any time to rest.

His strength rocketed. Plus, he had recovered to his peak with the Promotion. This had instantly shattered the fragile balance between the two sides!

With his increased Intelligence, his mechanical army had become stronger.

Boom!

The battle started again. The moment Han Xiao entered the battle, the stalemate situation was broken.

After his Promotion, he completely suppressed Stephanie while still being able to assist his teammates. He controlled the tempo of the battle alone.

Stephanie felt a huge increase in pressure and was completely stuck on the passive side of the battle. She could not understand how Black Star had been on par with her moments ago, yet now he had suddenly become so much stronger. Could this be a trump card of his?

Could it be that he could grow quickly during battle?

She remembered that there were this kind of battle race in the universe. Not killing them would make them stronger.

Could Black Star be one of them?

If he was, it would make sense. No wonder Black Star had risen so quickly in such a short time. He might really be one of those talented battle races!

Many guesses flashed through Stephanie’s mind. She looked around at her wounded teammates and was shaken.

Including her, everyone was already at their limit. However, Black Star was still very much at his peak, and his helpers were very tough as well. After fighting for so long, Stephanie could not see any hope of capturing Black Star.

“Retreat!”

Realizing that the situation was getting worse, Stephanie decided to retreat and leave the battlefield.

After fighting for so many hours, Stephanie and the others were all exhausted, but if they continued to fight head-on, they would still be able to last much longer. However, once they decided to retreat, their spirit broke, and they lost all their advantages. They were all held back by Han Xiao, who was at his peak after the Promotion.

Stephanie and the others fought while retreating, causing them to enter a vicious cycle—the more they wanted to retreat, the worse the situation became.

However, if they fought head on, it would just be delaying their inevitable death. Stephanie had no choice but to retreat. Only now did she realize that she was in a tough spot. Within the few hours that they were in a stalemate, they spent way too much energy and now could not escape.

If the enemies had retreated from the beginning, Han Xiao and the others would really not have been able to stop them. However, they only thought about retreating now. It was too late!

He did not want those dangerous people to escape. Who knew what trouble they would cause next time?

When Stephanie realized the situation, they had nowhere to run.

The battlefield gradually shifted to land. Stephanie and the others were finally at their limits.

Han Xiao started his slaughter!

Bang!

A punch landed on the heavily injured enemy Mage, and Void Ripple flew into the target’s body. This person’s entire body trembled, and his body started to scrunch up like a cloth. However, instead of water being squeezed out, it was blood. His health became zero, and he fell from the sky.

Xiu!

A Psionic Impact entered right into the body of an enemy Esper. Dark blue light exploded from within. With a loud band, this person exploded from within!

Boom!

A heavy knee kick landed on the lower body of a Pugilist. A large amount of nanotechnology particles suddenly appeared on Han Xiao’s knee, which turned into a sharp blade, stabbing right into the body of this Pugilist. The moment it stabbed in, the nanotechnology blade shapeshifted. The next moment, countless alloy spikes extended from within the muscles, as if spikes had suddenly grown out from this person’s body.

As Han Xiao backed away, the nanotechnology particles returned as well. The spikes on this person’s body all ‘retracted’. Blood shot out from the countless holes on his body as he fell from the sky.

Han Xiao killed one Calamity Grade after another, leaving only Stephanie still resisting. She was indeed very strong. Just Stephanie alone was able to cause quite a lot of trouble.

However, she was too outnumbered.

Stephanie heavily injured three of Han Xiao’s helpers. This was the last trouble she caused. Then, she was defeated by Han Xiao as well.

Ignoring their injuries, Han Xiao’s helpers immobilized her and prevented her from escaping.

Han Xiao pressed Stephanie on the ground, and Psionic Impact shot right in her face time after time without stopping, creating a several-hundred-meter-deep crater on the ground. Stephanie was restrained by Wilton and the rest, so she could not resist.

In the end, Stephanie was so heavily injured that she was unable to move. She only had the energy to breath.

Han Xiao did not kill her. He felt that it would be useful to not kill all of them. Plus, Stephanie was a boss-level character, so she would definitely produce great potions.

All Stephanie could feel was how heavy her eyelids were. Before falling unconscious, she squeezed out his last bit of energy to glare at Han Xiao.

When setting the ambush, she had never even considered the possibility that she would be defeated there.

“Black Star…”

Stephanie glared at Han Xiao, engraving his appearance deep into her heart before falling unconscious.

The place became quiet.

Cam

“We finally won.” Han Xiao took a deep breath. Only then did he feel the tiredness in his body. All he wanted to do was have a good sleep.

Honestly, Stephanie’s trap had indeed been very threatening. If he did not call for help beforehand, he might really have fallen into the trap. If he had undergone his Promotion earlier, without the Observer’s Marks aiding him in picking the battlefield, Black Star City would have been destroyed.

However, the battle had now ended, and the result was determined.

Stephanie’s team had been completely eliminated!

“Thanks for your help.” Han Xiao turned around and nodded at Wilton and the others.

“You’re welcome.” Wilton swallowed his saliva and spoke respectfully. He did have some thoughts earlier but now all he had for Han Xiao was respect and fear.

This fight might not have been as astonishing as his fight with the eight Vanguard Officials, but how many Calamity Grades did Black Star kill today?

Last time, Black Star had proved his defense; today, Wilton had witnessed Han Xiao’s attack for the first time.

Just thinking about it sent shivers down Wilton’s spine.

Luckily, Black Star is our ally… Wilton was internally relieved.

Meanwhile, Nagakin was sorrowful. A comrade of his had been killed. Han Xiao had no way to comfort him; all he could do was give him a pat on the back.

Godora had sent those people to help him. Losing a Calamity Grade was no small loss to Godora. Han Xiao felt rather sorry and remembered this favor, considering how he could make it up to Godora.

He was not someone that took the help from others for granted.

To maintain a relationship, it took effort from both sides.

At this time, Han Xiao suddenly thought of something, and his expression changed.

“Wait, we can’t rest yet. Phillip, gather the disaster reports and tell me the locations.”

Forcing energy out of himself, Han Xiao turned into a stream of light and quickly left.

He could not rest yet. He had to deal with the disasters brought by the battle. If they were not stopped in time, Planet Aquamarine would suffer a lot of damage.

Wilton and the others were willing to help. They split up and headed to different disaster locations.

Chapter 677 Class Advancement Requirement

In the Black Star City government building, Bennett was walking back and forth anxiously. Most of his people had been sent out to deal with the disasters, so only a few officials were in the room, looking at Bennett. Every one of them looked nervous and hesitant.

Other than the sound of footsteps and heavy breathing, there were no other sounds in the room.

Bennett clenched his fists. He felt a deep sense of powerlessness. Ever since Planet Aquamarine started to connect with the universe, he had been feeling this way. In battles of this level, he realized that all he could do was wait for the results.

Although Bennett trusted Han Xiao, he still planned for the worst. He had already ordered some people to start preparing to evacuate. He could not bet all his people on it.

This time, the official responsible for observing the battle hastily ran in and said with an overjoyed tone, “Your Excellency, the battle ended! Black Star won!”

Bennett’s tightened body finally relaxed, and his fists curled open.

The people in the room were surprised and could not help but cheer softly.

“I got it… Step up the disaster relief measures and reduce the damage caused as much as possible.

Bennett suppressed his excitement and issued several orders. This world shaking battle had brought disaster to the planet. They had to minimize the damage caused.

“By the way, have you been able to contact Black Star yet?”

“His Excellency Black Star sent a message earlier, saying he is taking his people to deal with the disasters and needs our cooperation.”

“That’s great. Cooperate with him fully and follow any order he gives.”

Bennett was thrilled.

The fallout of the battle caused earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, and other disasters to occur in many areas of the planet. Fortunately, Han Xiao ended the battle quickly, so the disasters did not exceed the critical level.

The tornados were easiest to deal with. Calamity Grades could extinguish the storm eye and make them disappear. Contrary to that, the earthquakes were irreversible, so they could only save the affected cities to reduce the damage.

In twenty-four hours, Han Xiao, Wilton, and the rest dealt with around a hundred disasters, big and small. In the next few months, there would still be more chain disasters, but they would all be detectable.

There were still some matters on Planet Aquamarine that needed Han Xiao to sort out, such as what to do with the Six Nations.

However, Han Xiao was exhausted and planned to rest for one day first, at the same time familiarizing himself with the changes brought by the Promotion.

Han Xiao brought the captive back to Bennett. Bennett was busy doing disaster relief, but he still squeezed out the time to thank Han Xiao.

Although the enemies came because of Han Xiao and Planet Aquamarine was sort of dragged into it, Bennett was not an idiot. He knew that Planet Aquamarine was only thriving because of Black Star, so it was only natural that they were on the same boat. Of course, he would not blame this protector. If there was anyone that he was angry at, it would be the enemies who used such a despicable strategy.

Wilton and the others left and rushed back to report what they had seen on this mission.

Han Xiao thanked them again for their help and contacted Godora’s Serbia the Fifth to discuss the compensation for the Calamity Grade that they had lost. Technically, he did not have to compensate them, but Han Xiao would not be that stupid.

Godora only had around twenty Calamity Grades, and every one they lost was a very big deal. Serbia the Fifth felt heartache too. When he heard that Han Xiao was going to compensate for it, he did feel a little better.

The Purple Crystal Civilization knew about this from Wilton. They contacted the Godoran Civilization and expressed their intent of paying some of the compensation for Han Xiao. Han Xiao’s record of killing many Calamity Grades increased his position once again. Purple Crystal was now even more interested in him. This act was to clearly express their intent of trying to build a relationship with Han Xiao.

When Han Xiao returned to his room, Stephanie was still unconscious. Han Xiao extracted potions from her till she was extremely weak.

Stephanie was strong, so Han Xiao would only not be worried about imprisoning her when she did not have the strength to resist.

Round three of (Prey) was completed. Han Xiao did not claim the reward immediately. One of the rewards was to draw a random ability from the ten enemies, including Stephanie.

As Feidin was not there, the Great Mechanic Han was unconfident about these luck related things. He planned to return to the headquarters and touch Feidin before claiming it.

During the battle, he rocketed to level 195, reaching the limit of (Truth Mechanic) and triggering the requirement for the next Class Advancement.

This time, it was a common Mechanic Class Advancement mission-to build one machine that matched the requirement. Han Xiao had triggered this kind of mission before, but this Class Advancement mission matched up to his level, so it was extremely difficult.

The grade of most equipment and items could be classified as one of the following: Poor Gray, Fair White, Good Green, Great Blue, Exceptional Purple, Rare Pink, and Epic Orange. Orange equipment was the top grade.

However, other than these usual grades, there were two special grades-silver and gold.

Gold was the most special grade. It was extremely rare, and it represented that the item was at the ‘Universal Treasure’ level. There were only a few in the entire

universe.

Silver represented the ‘Legacy’ attribute. If an item had a famous history or signified some kind of honor to be passed on, it would become a silver grade item and receive bonuses.

Legacy could stack with the usual grades. For example, an item could both be at orange grade and silver grade.

This Class Advancement mission was to build legacy-level orange equipment or ‘Legendary’ equipment!

What determined if a machinery had the legacy attribute depended on the blueprint. This meant that he had to find a special character to learn a silver legacy blueprint from, build it, and reach the orange grade. At the same time, the Class Advancement also had a requirement for the level of the equipment—it had to have a minimum level of level 180.

Therefore, I have to find a legacy level 180 mechanical equipment blueprint, then build it to reach the orange grade…

Han Xiao’s mouth twitched. Even the requirement for the Mountain Ape mechanical suit did not reach level 180.

Damn it, you’re making this difficult for

me!

Han Xiao could remember quite a few methods to obtain a silver legacy blueprint, but only a very few legacy equipment reached level 180. Those were also extremely complex and difficult to obtain.

Furthermore, the higher the blueprint’s level, the more difficult it was to build a high-grade product out of it. Han Xiao performed some mental calculations, and with his current Intelligence and Machinery Affinity, the absolute highest he could reach was just a level 180 pink equipment.

Han Xiao shook his head.

Although this mission was difficult, it was not completely impossible. Furthermore, there was no risk in it since he just had to build one piece of equipment. Thus, there was no need to depend on luck and find a Mission Completion Card for it.

The legacy blueprint isn’t a problem, but my attributes aren’t enough to build a level 180 orange equipment. Hmm… do I have to learn new subclasses to increase my attributes?

Without much consideration, Han Xiao denied this solution.

In the later stages, leveling up would become harder and harder. The benefits of the main class were much higher than any subclass. Furthermore, there was still a Promotion mission waiting for him at level 200. It was not worth obtaining a subclass.

He did not want to waste his Experience on subclasses; it was best to spend it on his main class. After all, there was still a very long time until the players logged in again, so he had to reduce his expenditure.

Besides, there were not many subclasses that he needed at the moment, and Han Xiao had a better choice.

If I’m not going to increase my attributes, I will need to find some Mechanic talents…

Han Xiao pondered. Every time he thought about Reynold’s talent, he would be tempted.

If he could obtain (Perfect Mechanical Sense), he would be able to complete the requirement right away. Unfortunately, he had yet to trigger a mission from Reynold.

I need to get some Mechanic talents. I’m still a Mechanic after all.

Glancing at the unconscious Stephanie, Han Xiao felt pressured.

The surprising outcome of this incident was that he now knew that the master behind those hunters was Thousand Shadows. The threat of a Beyond Grade A made Han Xiao feel like there was a stone on his heart. Compared to the Tyrant, Thousand Shadows was more fearsome.

Eliminating Stephanie’s team did not mean it was the end-he had barely earned the time to rest. Who knew who Thousand Shadows would send next time? The next round of the mission would definitely be more dangerous.

I need to get stronger.

Han Xiao felt a burning desire for strength.

Over the following few days, Han Xiao stayed on Planet Aquamarine and helped control the disasters.

Stephanie stayed silent after waking up. Han Xiao had yet to decide on what to do with her, so he just locked her up.

As Stephanie’s team had been eliminated, no one was there to maintain the fake memories of the Six Nations’ leaders. They all recovered as if they had woken up from a dream.

From the records, they discovered what they had done after ‘losing their memories’. Everyone’s face turned pale in horror.

Oh my god, what did we do?

They were terrified. Luckily, Black Star had eliminated the mastermind, or they still would have been controlled.

The Six Nations were worried that Black Star had misunderstood quickly explained that the declaration of war was a misunderstanding, as were the missiles.

At the same time, the leaders of the Six Nations quickly contacted Bennett to explain what had happened and ask for forgiveness.

Bennett did not reply but only invited them to a meeting, saying that this planet had just survived a disaster and they had to discuss the future development plans.

It seemed like Bennett was not planning to hold them accountable for what they had done when their memories were modified. In the Six Nations’ eyes, this represented what Han Xiao meant as well.

The upper echelons of the Six Nations were relieved. They quickly rushed to Black Star City for the meeting, memorized their apology scripts, and planned to explain what had happened.

However, what happened was completely different from what they had imagined!

To Black Star, the Planet Aquamarine armies were meaningless, so the upper echelons of the Six Nations did not take any defensive measures. However, to their shock, as soon as they alighted the plane, Bennett captured all of them.

All the upper echelons of the Six Nations were escorted to the conference room where they met Han Xiao, who was waiting here.

They saw that Han Xiao had an expressionless face and hastily explained themselves.

“Your Excellency Black Star, what is the meaning of this?”

“You must have misunderstood us. Please let me explain.”

Han Xiao waved his hands, signaling for them to shut up. “If not for me, you all would have died during the Mutation Disaster. Yet, you declared war against me, betraying our agreement. I’m very disappointed.”

“B—but we were controlled by someone,” one of them said anxiously. “You know that!”

“Yes, you were controlled…” Han Xiao narrowed his eyes. “Does that mean I should act as if nothing happened? What if the Black Star City’s protective shield could not stop your missiles?”

They had nothing to say to this.

Many people noticed what Han Xiao meant, and their expression changed.

Han Xiao tapped the table and said, “You guys are victims, too, so I won’t kill you, but I can’t just let it be.”

“You mean…” someone said apprehensively.

“Disband your governments and give control to Bennett. This civilization does not need this many governments-one is enough.”

From the aspect of a civilization developing as a whole, uniting everyone was very important. Too many governments would only cause resources to be wasted. The governments of the Six Nations had become unnecessarythey were a waste of talents and resources. They were almost a burden to Planet Aquamarine.

As there was no government that ruled over everyone, the Planet Aquamarine civilization had been divided for a very long time. This incident had made Han Xiao feel that it was time. Plus, with the negative effect of the Six Nations’ declaration of war against him, this would minimize the objection of the civilians.

Even though this meant that they would have to go through some short term of pain, in the long term, the civilization would become much healthier. Furthermore, there were many benefits to taking over a civilization. As long as Planet Aquamarine’s technology could catch up to the galactic level, it could become a great logistics base for the Black Star Army.

Like a bolt of lightning, Han Xiao’s words petrified the upper echelons of the Six Nations.

“Yo-you’re eliminating the Six Nations?” a leader said with a shivering tone. He was angry and afraid. If Black Star was planning to eliminate their nations, they would not have the slightest chance of surviving.

“Eliminate your nations?”

Han Xiao raised his eyebrows. He stood up, walked to the window, and opened the curtains. Many areas could be seen from there people were crossing by, and magnetic suspended trains shuttled continuously.

“That’s a nation.”

Han Xiao pointed outside the window before pointing at the officials of the Six Nations in the room.

“You guys are not.”

Chapter 678 Hail Feidin!

The disbanding of the Six Nations’ governments was quick.

Han Xiao’s strength, power, and prestige were all higher than the Six Nations’. Despite being unwilling, the government officials of the Six Nations had no chance to fight back. In the face of overwhelming strength, they realized that if Black Star wanted to take over the entire Planet Aquamarine, it would be a piece of cake, yet he had waited till then to do so.

In the past, Bennett would not have agreed to the plan. However, after this incident, he was willing to take on greater responsibility. In his eyes, the future of the entire civilization was more important; the Six Nations were way too unreliable.

Peaceful means were used to disband the Six Nations. Neither Han Xiao nor Bennett wanted another war to break out on Planet Aquamarine. The bloody example of the Old Era was right in front of them, so Han Xiao’s target was only the governments of the Six Nations.

To replace them from top to bottom.

The upper echelons of the Six Nations were arrested, and Bennett’s people were placed into the governments. The other government officials at all levels were greatly alarmed, but there was little resistance. The declaration of war from the Six Nations had not only caused them to lose the support of the people, but they had also lost the loyalty of many lower-level officials. The government was not completely united, and every official had their own independent ideas. Throughout Planet Aquamarine, Han Xiao’s reputation was more useful than the Six Nations’; he was widely respected.

Bennett got rid of some of the high-ranking officials while retaining the vast majority of the middle and lower ranked officials. The Six Nations were vast—these people were required to manage them. Furthermore, a pyramid-shaped power structure would falter when the bottom level was taken away. It was not suitable to immediately replace the original political structure, or it would cause chaos.

After all, most middle- and low-level officials were simply trying to earn a living. As long as they were not invaded by foreign enemies, they did not mind their wages being paid by another group of people.

Even the upper echelons were not united. Some of them were willing to work for Bennett’s new government, including Gu Hui. He was utterly disappointed in his original government. Seeing Han Xiao taking over the Six Nations, he briefly struggled between patriotism and racial justice, and in the end, the latter prevailed.

Things could not be changed anymore; staying there and contributing to the entire civilization was his best choice. Gu Hui knew that letting Han Xiao lead Planet Aquamarine might be a much better choice.

After all the dust settled, only then did Han Xiao announce this to all the civilians. Unsurprisingly, this message sent the Six Nations’ people into an uproar.

Although many people were dissatisfied with the declaration of war by the Six Nations, they did not think that their government would disappear in such a short period of time.

Countless people were worried sick that this might be the start of another era filled with chaos. However, after some time, they realized that their lives did not change much at all. The original territories of the Six Nations became six special zones where most of the original laws were retained. Bennett knew that this had to be done slowly so that the civilians could gradually adjust to the new government.

Reality was not a fairy tale; even though Han Xiao’s image was like a savior on Planet Aquamarine, there were still passionate patriotic protests as every government knew how to cultivate strong supporters. There were also those with ulterior motives who acted on the opportunity. Such backlash was inevitable during the unification of a civilization. Most people remained silent.

After all, the Six Nations had launched missiles at Black Star City first, so they were not in a position to complain.

For most people, as long as their lives remained unchanged, they would not do anything about the change of government. The people of Planet Aquamarine had experienced countless wars and disasters, so they cherished the stability of their lives. Furthermore, many were the survivors of dead nations from the Old Era and wanderers, not fully loyal to the Six Nations and having more understanding of the situation. This was also one of the reasons that Han Xiao had been confident in doing

this.

Since the interstellar era, most stereotypes had shattered. The lines of the nationality were blurred for most people, replaced by the mindset based on the entire race. The importance of the nations depended on what it was compared with, and it was clearly not comparable to the continuation of the entire race. Hence, most people did not oppose Bennett’s new government. Furthermore, Black Star was behind Bennett, who was way more reliable than the Six Nations.

The entire civilization was united, and Bennett finally decided on the name of the new government-Aquamarine Federation.

Naming the government after the planet was easier for the people to accept. Han Xiao, though aware of the meaning of the name, still felt that it was weird.

Aquamarine Federation? Why does that sound like a retail store?

However, no matter what the name of the Planet Aquamarine government was, it was still his logistics base.

The situation was basically finalized.

The takeover of the Six Nations brought a lot of follow-up problems, so Bennett and others were terribly busy. Han Xiao estimated that it would take a few years for things to be fully organized. Planet Aquamarine also needed some time to get through the painful period. The benefits of a unified civilization would gradually become apparent over time.

After the incident was resolved, Han Xiao did not stay any longer. He took Stephanie and returned to Base No.1 on Planet Golden Gate.

The battle with the Vanguard Officials a month ago had brought a lot of fame to Han Xiao-nearly everyone knew about it. This time, the news of Black Star killing several Calamity Grades one after another once again shocked the entire Star Field.

The Purple Crystal Civilization did not conceal this incident. They believed Han Xiao’s statement that Stephanie and the others were assassins sent by Klent. They vigorously promoted the fact that Klent’s assassination had failed, which boosted their people’s morale and weakened the negative impact of the losses in the secret war.

The Klent Civilization was utterly confused.

We do want to kill Black Star, but we haven’t done anything yet. When did we send assassins?

It must be another Star Cluster that sent people to kill Black Star, since they can blame it all on us!

Klent was furious.

Do these people think we are the scapegoat king?

Although the two sides were at war, Klent was not willing to take responsibility for a failure that they did not commit. They publicly announced that it was entirely fabricated.

Purple Crystal’s reply was very simple. I’m not listening! I’m not listening! I’m certain it’s you!

The partners of the two sides were at war, and their governments were accusing each other. The various organizations of the Shattered Star Ring were all watching the drama between Purple Crystal and Klent.

Han Xiao, who had caused this incident, also received a lot of attention.

The fact that Black Star had finally mastered psionic energy had made many organizations take him even more seriously. This meant that Black Star was much more threatening!

Killing many Calamity Grades matched up to his Beyond Grade A seed title, and this kind of lethality was more threatening than just being tanky. In a short period, Han Xiao’s reputation and position in the entire Star Field rocketed once again.

The other Star Cluster civilizations, while shocked, secretly lifted Han Xiao’s position on the Beyond Grade A seed list up a few places.

Han Xiao had already felt the influence of this incident on his way to Base No.1

-everyone recognized his face. When he returned to the base, he also noticed that many mercenaries looked at him with even more admiration.

This trip back to Planet Aquamarine had taken about twenty days, so he had ten more days of holiday.

After returning to the base, Han Xiao first inspected the operations of the Black Star Army during this period. Tens of thousands of trainees from various training camps had become official mercenaries, and about a hundred battleships had been added.

My mechanical army is quite damaged. I can use these ten days to replenish it.

He had to return to the battlefield after the holiday, so he decided to build his army with the remaining time he had. Before that, he wanted to first claim the reward for the third round of (Prey).

Feidin had not gone out recently. Han Xiao found him, chatted with him awhile, and touched him a few times before letting go of Feidin, who had a strange expression on his face.

Chen Xing, who happened to be out, was blushing a bit. She quickly returned control of the body to Feidin.

As Feidin became stronger, he was able to suppress Chen Xing alone. Plus, his relationship with Chen Xing was getting more affectionate, so he occasionally let her out for a break, which Han Xiao happened to bump into.

Although the soul was different, the body was the same.

As the luck on his hand was lingering, Han Xiao rushed to the side and opened the interface to claim the reward for the third round.

Round Three complete.

Please select the target to draw abilities from…

There were ten enemies, but Han Xiao was only interested in the abilities of two of them-Stephanie and that Mechanic.

If he selected that Mechanic, there was a very high chance of him getting a Mechanic talent, so that would be a safe choice.

If he selected Stephanie, unlike from Shana, her Esper ability was not compatible with him at all, so the effect of the abilities would definitely be weakened. The best result would be getting a Template Talent, but that depended purely on his luck.

After considering for a few seconds, Han Xiao’s eyes became firm; he had made his decision.

A Mechanic talent is great, but Molding Talents are hard to come by!

A man must dare to dream!

You have received the reward: Draw one ability/talent from Stephanie.

Alert: Stephanie is an Esper. Part of the possible abilities have been automatically adjusted to your class.

Randomizing… complete.

Please select one from the five options below as the reward:

(Cell Resonance) – Ability: You can condition your body state through the vibration of your cells, increasing the energy production efficiency of your cells. Recovers 11% energy, purges one debuff. Cost: 1,500 Stamina. Cooldown: 90 seconds.

(Electromagnetic Resonance) – Ability: By affecting the frequency of electromagnetic waves, you are able to obstruct certain communication methods and radar detection or the brainwaves of individuals. There is a chance that (Confused), (Hallucinating), and (Abnormally Excited) might be applied to the target. The closer the distance, the stronger the effects of the debuffs. Success rate is related to Intelligence. Cost: 150 Energy. Cooldown: 6 seconds.

[Object Weakness Attack] – Ability: You can easily discover the weakness of objects. Your next attack will deal extra damage and three chain damages ranging from 5% to 15% damage of this attack. There is a chance to cause the [Heavily Injured) effect. Cost: 240 Energy. Cooldown: 28 seconds.

(Will to Battle] – Talent: +180 Endurance, -75 Intelligence, -25 Luck.

(Legendary Battle Technique] – Talent: Every third attack will deal 35% extra True Damage.

Han Xiao was stunned before becoming overjoyed.

I really got a Molding Talent!

Hail Feidin!

Chapter 679 Saving the World with Normal Attacks

All five choices were decent, and they all had different focuses.

(Cell Resonance) could instantly recover energy and purge a debuff. It could be used by any class and was a powerful support ability.

[Electromagnetic Resonance) was a rather good assistive ability as well. It could reduce the target’s strength. When facing an opponent of the same grade, this could give the user a quick advantage. [Object Weakness Attack] was an explosive damage type ability. Though its applicable situations were limited, it was still not too bad.

[Will to Battle) was a tank talent. +180 Endurance was actually quite high, but it had a side effect. Han Xiao felt that he was tanky enough, so he was not interested in this talent at all.

Luckily, the lowest limit for Luck is zero, otherwise mine would go negative if I chose this talent…

What was most surprising to him was the fifth choice—[Legendary Battle Technique].

This was a proper Molding Talent!

Plus, it was one of the best ‘Battle Technique’ talents!

Every third attack would deal an extra 35% True Damage, which meant that his attack increased by a huge amount out of nowhere, as talents were passive abilities and had no cost at all.

Every third attack? With the attack speed of Calamity Grades, how many third attacks would there be in just one second?

This was spectacular!

The other four choices paled in comparison. Han Xiao did not even have to think and directly picked the fifth choice.

You have received (Legendary Battle Technique]

That was hella lucky!

Han Xiao was very excited. He quickly went to the combat training room to test the new talent.

The floor split open, and the alloy wall used to test damage rose up. Han Xiao started punching the wall continuously.

True Damage ignored defense. For example, if the theoretical damage of an attack was 10,000 and the target’s resistance reduced it to 5,000, adding the True Damage, that attack would deal 5,000 plus 3,500 damage.

Almost double!

If the attack was completely absorbed by a shield, a magic barrier, or heavy mechanical armor, the effect of the True Damage would only go to the shield durability and armor value. When the enemy was actually damaged, only then would this deal True Damage to the enemy.

Therefore, tank enemies that took on attacks with their body would be completely countered by this!

If not for the Germinal leader’s talent, I would have had a very tough time against this. Han Xiao was glad.

No wonder Stephanie was a boss-type character-her abilities were too overpowered!

Han Xiao was excited. He was already very tanky. Comparatively, although the attack of his Army Style was not weak, it did not appear as important as how tanky he was since he had always been fighting enemies that were stronger than him or many enemies at once. Most of the time, he relied on how tanky he was to defeat the enemies.

If he used the authentic way of utilizing the Army Style, he would completely destroy any enemy that was about the same level as him, even more so now that he had mastered psionic energy. He would be able to fight many enemies at once even without making use of how tanky he was.

However, his health-mana cycle made him way too tanky, causing the Army Style to pale in comparison. His Indestructible Body title had covered up the fact that he was a Mechanic for too

long.

But not anymore!

The (Legendary Battle Technique] was already strong enough when used by others. When used by a Mechanic using the Army Style, it would be absolutely terrifying!

From the NPCs in his previous life that had similar talents, the Great Mechanic Han knew that this type of talent could be applied to summoned creatures and mechanical armies. The summoned creatures could enjoy the talents of the Mage through their magic link, while the mechanical army could share the effect of this talent through Mechanical Force. After all, the mechanical army was considered a type of equipment, so the talent would apply to them just like it would apply to a weapon in one’s hand.

Han Xiao expanded a few elite mechanical soldiers that he had brought along and carried out tests to find out how this talent worked.

After testing, he found out that every machinery had its individual (Legendary Battle Technique] effect count. This meant that every third attack of that machine would trigger the True Damage, instead of the total times the entire army attacked.

The attack count of every machine was calculated separately and not together. So, if Han Xiao fired one machine twice then changed to another machine for the third attack, it would not trigger.

Han Xiao started fantasizing. If the attack count was calculated together, it would mean that if a hundred machines fired together, thirty-three of them would have extra True Damage.

Gently giving himself a slap, Han Xiao shattered his own fantasy.

Hmm, it’s already strong enough.

Han Xiao was very satisfied. This meant that if a hundred machines all fired three times, the last hundred attacks out of the total three hundred attacks would all have True Damage. The ratio was the same as if the attack count was calculated as a whole. The difference was just the frequency that the talent was triggered.

However, this talent did not require the attack to land to count it could still be triggered by attacking at nothing!

This meant that the triggering timing of this talent could be controlled. If he used it well, he could even make every attack that landed on the enemy have extra True Damage.

Han Xiao immediately had a lot of ideas in his mind.

A strong talent could completely change one’s combat capability.

To the Great Mechanic Han, [Legendary Battle Technique] was as strong as his health-mana cycle. It increased the strength and lethality of his mechanical army once again!

If I can make this idea a reality, my actual combat capability will multiply many times over! I might really be able to crush anyone under Beyond Grade A!

The excitement in Han Xiao’s eyes was almost overflowing.

The effect of touching Feidin was dreamlike!

The phrase ‘becoming stronger through the battles’ inside the [Prey) mission introduction was indeed true. Although he had been targeted by Thousand Shadows, Han Xiao felt that it was worth it now that he had received this talent.

Han Xiao browsed through his attributes on the interface. He was so strong that even he was afraid of himself.

Just moments earlier, he had worried that once he returned to the battlefield, knowing how tanky he was, the enemies would only send a few people to fight him so that he would not be much of a threat.

Now, however, if they sent too few people, he would be able to kill them all!

Han Xiao locked himself inside the modification room. Using the last ten days, he planned to adjust Phillip’s combat control mode so that the mechanical army’s fighting method would be able to fully utilize the power of [Legendary Battle Technique]. For example, he could let one team of artilleries standby with their third attack, use the other units of the army to create an opportunity, and let this standby team focus fire when suitable, making sure that when his attack landed, it would deal a ton of damage. However, in order to have the army do such a delicate job, he needed a large calculation module.

Herlous and the others could handle any Black Star Army matters, so he did not have to worry. The best way to increase the Black Star Army’s position was for him, the leader, to become stronger.

The flames of war filled the West Wind, Chaida, and the Kaya Star Systems.

Ralph had been counting down to reminding Black Star to return to the battlefield. He needed him to stabilize the battle between the high-level combatants. The Bloodshed Land’s Jorde was also wary of Black Star, who had disappeared for two months.

At the same time, in the middle of Hidden Red Robe Abbey’s palace, Austin was hovering about four meters above the ground. The oversized robe dragged on the floor. Desoro and the others were standing at the side.

Austin slowly opened his eyes and said with a sentimental tone, “I never expected him to change this much.”

The Forbidden Sorcerers around all had strange expressions on their faces. Some time ago, Austin had summoned Lagi, and they had watched their full conversation from the side.

Lagi was Austin’s fourth disciple. The Forbidden Sorcerers present had all followed Austin for a long time and knew Lagi. However, upon seeing him again after so many years, that once vigorous and fearless former Forbidden Sorcerer commander felt like a completely different person.

They could not imagine what Lagi had gone through in these years.

Austin shook his head and said, “However, although his personality has changed, he’s still as determined and resolute as he used to be, rejecting me like that without hesitating.”

After banishing Lagi for so many years, Austin had long forgiven his mistake. Thus, he asked if Lagi wanted to return under his command. To his surprise, Lagi was determined to return to Black Star without even the slightest hesitation.

Although Lagi made it look like it was not a big deal, Austin could see that Lagi was really thankful to Black Star for saving him. He no longer longed to return to Hidden Red Robe Abbey; Black Star had replaced his position and received Lagi’s loyalty. Lagi was not only doing this because he was thankful but also because he saw a lot of potential in Black Star.

When Austin saw the Observer’s Mark on Lagi’s head, he understood what Han Xiao meant as well. He had planted an Observer’s Mark on Lagi despite knowing that it would be discoveredthis was to express how important Lagi was to him.

Seeing that, Austin was willing to let

him go.

“Following a Beyond Grade A seed is a dangerous path. Don’t die…” Austin sighed.

At the dock outside the palace, Lagi was walking to the spaceship. When he arrived, many Forbidden Sorcerers had gone to welcome him, but when he left, he was alone.

He turned around and looked at the Mage palace that he had once known every corner of for the last time, and a mixture of sentimental emotions appeared in his eyes. Then, he shook his head and stepped onto the spaceship.

Whoosh!

The hatch closed, covering his lonely yet unbending back.

The spaceship slowly lifted off, turned into a stream of light, and disappeared.

Inside the house of happiness, an interrogation was going on.

“Who sent you?” Han Xiao yelled as if he did not know.

Stephanie was constrained by Electromagnetic straps all over her body, through which high voltage currents coursed. It seemed like she did not feel pain at all, and she looked at Han Xiao with an expressionless face. Her face was pale, her lips slowly opened, and she said with a soft voice, “Like I said, you won’t get any intelligence from me.”

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and did not speak.

The (Prey) mission did not end yet, and the fourth round was still in an inactive state. Thousand Shadows could share the senses of his shadows to a certain extent, so Han Xiao did not want to expose the fact that he knew the truth. Doing so would make the next round more dangerous. Therefore, for the past few days, he had conducted fake interrogations on Stephanie whenever he was free, acting like he did not know about Thousand Shadows.

Whether he was just doing meaningless work or not, being cautious would do no harm.

Han Xiao had already made hundreds of Genetic Medicines from her, but Han Xiao was rather stumped by what to do with her.

If he did not know that the enemy behind her was Thousand Shadows, he might have kept her to produce more medicines. However, Thousand Shadows could sense his shadows, so keeping Stephanie was a huge hidden risk.

The look in Han Xiao’s eyes kept changing. In the end, he sighed. With a flash of Mechanical Force, nanotechnology particles shot out from compressed orbs and covered his arm like black sand, turning into a psionic cannon, pressing onto Stephanie’s head.

Bang bang bang!

After some time, the sound of cannon fire stopped.

The door opened, and Han Xiao walked out, shaking his head.

Although Stephanie’s history was rather tragic, he did not become soft hearted. Thousand Shadows’ shadows had lost themselves and were unable to escape his control. Death was a relief for them instead.

The reward for killing Stephanie was 280% for killing someone many levels higher, giving Han Xiao more than 350 million Experience, replenishing his Experience a little. It also gave him a Stephanie Character Summon Card.

Character Summon Card—Stephanie: [Resonance Penetration)— Reduce the physical defense of the target by 50% – 80% using close range resonance. For every 100 Endurance the target has, the duration will decrease by 1 second.

Basic Duration: 24 seconds.

Minimum Duration: 3 seconds

Usage: 0/4

Han Xiao closed his eyes and recalled the images from earlier. When struggling for her life, Stephanie seemed to have recovered to her true self. He clearly saw the relief and gratitude in Stephanie’s eyes as her life faded.

This time, a notification suddenly popped up on the interface.

You have triggered the mission (Stephanie’s Last Wish]

Mission Introduction: In the last moment before death, she begged for your help to make up for the one thing she regretted the most in her life.

Mission Requirements: Find the last Antarrian bloodline.

Reward: 15,000,000 Experience

Remarks: This is a Ruins Mission. Some people might be interested in this.

Triggered a mission…

Han Xiao was a little surprised.

Antarr was Stephanie’s civilization, which was long gone.

It seemed like not being able to protect her civilization was her biggest regret. However, after becoming Thousand Shadows’ shadow, her belief had become twisted, and she only could recall it moments before her death.

Ruin Missions were a special type of mission. The reward from the interface were usually very low, but they were mostly related to places that were buried in history. Exploring ruins would often lead to more rewards.

If I have the time, I might do it.

His holiday was coming to an end. Han Xiao thought for a while, took out his communicator, and flipped dozens of pages through his contact list to find Ralph.

In the Kaya Star System, a fleet was moving in stealth mode. This was a guerrilla fleet, mainly from a partnered organization, the New Phylen Rebels. Most of the battleships were assault models.

Inside the main control room of the Shining Crow grade flagship, the commander Morred and the others were having a strategic meeting around a silver table. The people in charge of the other partnered organizations of this fleet were listening from the side. Above the table was a three-dimensional star map, marked with the dense Bloodshed Land strongholds and fleets that were colored deep red.

“In our area, there are twelve Bloodshed Land strongholds. This operation is the highest level order given directly by the combat command. Including us, a total of twenty-seven fleets are involved in this mission. What do you guys think?”

Morred was a Phylen Human. His body was thin and boney, and he looked very weak, but the strength of his muscle fiber was close to that of an alloy. His weight was close to one ton. He was one of the high-ranking combatants of the New Phylen Rebels, a Calamity Grade Mechanical Pugilist. His body was fused with semi-organic metals.

When Han Xiao took his leave from the war, the situation of the secret war changed drastically. Bloodshed Land’s army gathered with the forefront armies. With unstoppable momentum, they kept expanding the strongholds in the West Wind, Kaya, and Chaida Star Systems. In two months, they built hundreds of stronghold planets that guarded each other. The positions of these strongholds were carefully selected, allowing them to affect many Star Zones. They had completed the first part of their strategic blueprint.

The rulers of the three border Star Systems did not interfere in the unofficial secret war. According to some gossip, the Bloodshed Land had already sent out emissaries to contact and negotiate with those three Star System Civilizations. Although only two short months had passed, according to neutral intelligence organizations’ data and investigation, the influence of Purple Crystal had dropped by about 13.7% in those three Star Systems.

Reducing Purple Crystal’s influence of border Star Systems was one of the main strategic goals of the Klent Kingdom. It was true that Star Systems were a part of Star Clusters, but the Star Clusters were determined and planned later. Hence, Star System Civilizations were not technically under the Star Cluster Civilization’s command.

If Purple Crystal’s influence dropped severely, the Star Systems that had received an invitation from Klent and pressure from the Crimson Dynasty in the future would announce independence and join Klent. Even though the Colton Star Cluster’s border Star Systems and Klent’s Seoul Star Cluster were separated by a desolate region, those border Star Systems would still be able to become parts of the Seoul Star Cluster. With the Star Cluster level stargate technology, distance was not a limitation.

In order to redetermine the area of a Star Cluster, the most important factor was support from a Universal Civilization. This was where Klent got their confidence to snatch these Star Systems. Purple Crystal was semi-neutral; unless they were willing to become a vassal of their Universal Civilization, the Federation of Light would not help them.

The Tyrant Heber’s armies were all elites that had fought hundreds of battles. They were known in the Shattered Star Ring to be the top tier military forces. In a direct battle, Section Zero would be no match for them.

Section Zero’s largest advantage was their strategy. The Combat Command took Han Xiao’s advice and adjusted their strategy during the two months when the Bloodshed Land was at their peak strength. They stopped looking at temporary losses and gains, split up the Bloodshed Land’s forces, and focused on harassing and surprise attacks. They were waiting for an opportunity.

Morred and the others were indeed discussing the large scale counterattack operation that had been in the works for a long time!

“The Bloodshed Land’s biggest army is in the West Wind Star System, where all eight Vanguard Officials are. Other than Black Star, no one will be able to deal with them. Comparatively, the Kaya Star System has the fewest Bloodshed Land troops, so it’s the most suitable target,” a staff sergeant said.

Morred nodded and said, “The goal of this operation is to get rid of the twelve Bloodshed Land strongholds in this area. The twelve strongholds are connected by a hyperdrive base station. Despite them having a very quick reinforcement speed, their total size will not change. Our twenty-seven fleets will attack every stronghold planet and split their troops up. Then, the Knife Team will raid and destroy this hyperdrive base station, making the enemies lose the ability to quickly shift the battlefield. Following that, we’ll rapidly destroy the twelve strongholds.”

The crowd nodded. This was the right method to deal with hyperdrive base stations. The attacking side would gain the upper hand. Section Zero’s strategy was simple and efficient.

“The twenty-seven fleets can be classified into four types of fleets—Restraint Teams, Feint Teams, Standby Teams waiting to attack the strongholds, and the Knife Teams that are going to raid the hyperdrive base station.” Morred knocked the table. “We are one of the three Knife Teams. The enemies have set up a very strong defense around the hyperdrive base station, so our mission is very important.”

“When everyone arrives at their positions, we will start the operation…” The deputy’s words had yet to finish. Suddenly, the 3D star map was replaced by a communication request that interrupted his sentence.

Ralph appeared with his hands behind his back. He looked around and loudly said, “This operation is temporarily postponed. New reinforcements will be joining the operation. Morred, standby nearby and wait to rendezvous with them. They will be raiding the hyperdrive base station with you.”

Postponing the operation just for reinforcements?

Everyone was stunned. Morred reacted the quickest. He frowned and said, “Who are these reinforcements?”

Ralph smiled satisfyingly and said with a joyful tone, “Black Star.”

Morred’s eyes sparkled.

It’s him!

After the shocking battle two months prior, Black Star had left the battlefield. Now, he had finally returned!

“With such a strong helper, our chances of winning are even higher. At least in terms of high-level combatants, we’re at an advantage!”

Morred nodded heavily. No wonder the operation was postponed. It was acceptable since it was because they were waiting for Black Star.

A few days later, the Black Star Army’s fleet arrived in the Kaya Star System and rendezvoused with Morred.

The main ship connected, and Morred waited with the several ship captains at the bridge. The hatch far away opened, and a man in black clothes walked out first, followed by a group of people in mercenary clothing. This time, Han Xiao had brought six hundred battleships. The people following him were Herlous, Harmon, and a few Grade B officers. Reynold was in charge of logistics, and Lagi had yet to return.

Quickly sizing Han Xiao up, Morred approached him and extended his hand passionately.

“I’m the commander of this guerrilla team, Morred. I’m from the New Phylen Rebels. We welcome your assistance, Black Star.”

“Hi.” Han Xiao shook his hand.

“Let’s not waste any more time. The operation’s plan is like this…”

The two of them walked side by side as Morred explained the steps of this mission to Han Xiao. The others followed behind as they walked toward the main control room.

Han Xiao was distracted as Morred explained. When accepting the mission, Ralph had already told him the details, so what Morred said was all repeated.

Ralph had been looking forward to his return. As soon as his holiday ended, Ralph sent Han Xiao to the Kaya Star System to join this counterattack that they had planned for a very long time.

Within the past two months, the goals that Han Xiao had set had basically all been completed. He had learned a Cutting-Edge Knowledge, completely rebuilt his mechanical army, completed his Promotion and leveled up to 195, turned a huge amount of Experience into actual combat capability, and learned the very surprising attack type Molding Talent. His strength had skyrocketed.

As Purple Crystal was at a disadvantage in the war, they had more and more hope for Han Xiao. As soon as he returned, he was given a very big responsibility.

I’ve made a good start. As long as I keep accomplishing difficult tasks, my position in Section Zero will definitely increase very quickly!

His goal was to make the Black Star Army a force that had help from Purple Crystal, so of course, he would not reject the important missions.

He put aside the Class Advancement mission for the moment. The Experience that he had saved in his interface was limited, and he was afraid to finish it too early since the update time was ten years long. His current strength was enough to deal with most situations. There were not many Level180 legacy blueprints, and they were extremely complicated to obtain. Before the next time he could slack off, Han Xiao would have no time to finish the Class Advancement mission. The secret war was an important part of his plan; he had to take it seriously.

As they arrived, Morred turned on the 3D star map and explained in even further details. Only then did Han Xiao start to listen carefully. A mission popped up on the interface that required him to follow with Morred to complete the raid of the hyperdrive station.

After some analysis, Morred scanned through the data of those people, and his expression became solemn.

“According to the intelligence, the hyperdrive base station is guarded by tightly grouped guards. There are fifteen Calamity Grades standing by. Among the fifteen calamity grades, twelve of them were found by the Bloodshed Land in the Seoul Star Cluster, and the other three are officers of the Bloodshed Land.

Morred pointed at a drawing, on it was a ferocious looking female creature with a light green skin. She had short and gold hair, and a few ferocious scars stretched across her face. She was blind and used mechanical eyes.

“Tamaria, Bloodshed Land Adjudicator, high grade Calamity Grade, nickname ‘Poisonous Bones’. It’s said that she’s killed more than a billion people, including 10,000 Supers and 100 Calamity Grades. This rumor is exaggerated, but the truth is most likely not far from it. In conclusion, she’s very murderous and is a famous mad woman under the Tyrant…”

Han Xiao rubbed his chin and thought, Green skin? She probably has Beastman blood.

Even the Tyrant’s female subordinates were muscular.

There were many talented people under Heber’s command. Other than the eight Vanguard Officials, there were also many famous Calamity Grade officers. It was just that the eight Vanguard Officials were the most famous.

Morred stared at Han Xiao and said, “This woman and the other fourteen Calamity Grades are all yours.”

Han Xiao turned around and patted Herlous’ shoulders. “You heard the man. They’re all yours.”

Herlous’ face was filled with question marks.

“I’m kidding. Why would I let you die like that?” Han Xiao laughed. “Don’t worry, it’s just fifteen Calamity Grades. Even if I can’t win, can’t I run?”

Chapter 681 Black Star’s Weakness

An enormous black and metal space station hovered in space. Its exterior was equipped with rows of satellite-level guard cannons. Nine armed satellite fortresses circled the space station.

This was the T-04 Hyperdrive Base Station, which was the target of Section Zero’s attack.

At this time, Tamaria and the other upper echelons were all in the conference room inside the base, attending a remote meeting.

The war commander, Jorde, appeared on the projection screen.

“According to reliable sources, eleven days ago, Black Star left his headquarters after two months. We speculate that he will be returning to the battlefield soon. Everyone present, pay attention to Black Star’s whereabouts,” he said in a serious tone.

All of Bloodshed Land’s commanders in the three Star Systems were attending the meeting. Black Star had returned to the battlefield—this was the reason that this meeting was being held. After Black Star’s battle with the eight Vanguard Officials, Jorde had paid a lot of attention to Han Xiao.

Although one person would not be able to determine the entire war, Black Star was one of the most dangerous high-level combatants of Section Zero. Sending out a notification just for him was very necessary in Jorde’s eyes so that everyone would at least be prepared.

“According to the recent rumors and his fight with the eight Vanguard Officials, I have arranged some intelligence on Black Star. I will send it to all of you later,” Jorde said.

He firmly believed that knowing his enemies would get him an advantage in battle. Purple Crystal would definitely place Black Star in a very important position. This set of intelligence on Black Star could make sure that every commander knew about the enemy. If they were attacked, they would know how to deal with Black Star.

The conference ended very quickly, and the commander of the T-04 Hyperdrive Base Station received the information. He only looked at it for a few seconds before Tamaria walked to him and grabbed the communicator away to look at it herself.

The base station commander was speechless. Tamaria’s position in the base was higher than his. This green-skinned woman was not only the captain of more than ten high level combatants but also the supervisor. Other than obeying his orders during battle, she usually did not even pay attention to him at all. The base station commander was already used to it.

Tamaria only glanced through before she sneered and threw the communicator aside.

“I was wondering how strong Black Star could actually be, but it turns out he’s so easy to deal with…”

The base communicator picked up the communicator and browsed through it. He then immediately understood what Tamaria meant.

Jorde had added the method to deal with Black Star in the intelligence as well.

Indeed, the result of Black Star’s fight with the eight Vanguard Officials was astonishing. However, after analyzing the fight, Black Star’s weakness had become obvious as well—his attack ability was very limited. Through the entire fight, he was completely suppressed by the eight Vanguard Officials, only surviving due to his Indestructible Body. Due to that, the trouble that he could cause was minimal.

Although Black Star was rumored to have mastered psionic energy recently, there were tons of other Mechanics around the universe that had. It was far from being impossible to deal with.

Furthermore, strategic psionic weapons were equivalent to galactic nuclear weapons. Even Star Cluster civilizations would not use them unless they had no other choice, and they definitely would not in this unofficial secret war. Unless Black Star wanted to visit the Hegaboye Court Martial of the three Universal Civilizations and enjoy more than a hundred years in prison, he would not use Primordial Psionic Energy

Due to those many reasons, Jorde had detailed the method to deal with Black Star in this intelligence—all they had to do was send one or two experienced Calamity Grades and three to five normal Calamity Grades to destroy Black Star’s mechanical army. Black Star would then pose no threat and become useless in the war.

According to how the Section Zero’s organizations had been avoiding losing any high-level combatants, as long as Black Star was dealt with, the threat of the other Calamity Grades of Section Zero would also decrease tremendously.

No wonder Tamaria was disdainful. Black Star was not as difficult to deal with as they had imagined

“Nonetheless, Black Star’s body is great.” The fangs in Tamaria’s mouth showed, and her tone was full of desire and cruelty. “I wonder if I can get his abilities after I eat him.”

Tamaria’s race’s culture was very savage and bloody. They believed in gaining the enemy’s power by eating their flesh and that consuming strong enemies would make them stronger. Tamaria was extremely interested in Han Xiao’s body and thirsted to gulp him down. She licked her lips.

Ohm!

At this time, the alarm of the base suddenly sounded. Everyone’s expression changed as they hastily returned to their stations.

Seeing that the commander had returned, someone quickly reported, “Commander, Stronghold Planet 4 has been attacked. Requesting reinforcements from other strongholds. This is the enemy ship’s data collected by the radar.”

T-04 Hyperdrive Base was the core that maintained the wormhole in the twelve strongholds. Any kind of reinforcements had to be reported to the base station. After approval, the quick reinforcement route would then be opened. The base station’s job was to overlook everything.

The base station commander quickly scanned through the report and said, “Which strongholds have responded?”

“1, 6, 9, and 12.”

“Open Reinforcement Channel 12.” The base station commander did not hesitate.

The operational team nodded and got to work.

Visible through the wide-angle projection porthole of the space station, thousands of blue beams launched from two special devices of the base station, creating a deep blue circular shaped wormhole on both sides. The energy at the edges of the wormholes rippled, expanded, and gradually stabilized. The two wormholes aligned with each other in both location and size.

The next moment, streams of hyperdrive light shot out from the left wormhole and directly into the right wormhole in an instant. These were the reinforcement fleets, having taken less than thirty seconds to arrive.

“It’s done.” The base station commander nodded.

However, before he could catch his breath, three planets out of the twelve stronghold planets turned red on the monitoring interface again, signaling that they were under attack!

“Hmm? This isn’t a simple attack!”

The expression on the base station commander’s face drastically changed. He quickly gave out the reinforcement orders and loudly said, “T-04 Hyperdrive Base Station, get ready for battle. Activate all armed satellite fortresses, and send out all fleets. The enemies may appear any time!”

These signs were common when attacking Hyperdrive Base Stations. The base station commander reacted very quickly and instantly discovered that Section Zero’s target was the base station. However, this was a plot that they had to take part in as the attackers had the upper hand. The only way to resolve it was to defeat the attackers.

Section Zero had been strategically splitting up their troops for two months. Now, the effect of that finally surfaced. They chose T-04 Hyperdrive Base Station as the target of their counterattack because this area had limited troops and had yet to build a long-range stargate.

Everyone in the base station started to act. Tamaria narrowed her eyes and stood up. Not only was she not nervous, she even looked excited and eager.

“Great, someone’s finally here to fight. I haven’t exercised my bones for too long. They’re getting rusty.”

Very soon, more strongholds were attacked and requested reinforcements. Despite knowing that this was a plot, the base station commander had no choice but to deploy more and more troops.

As they were getting nervous, the radar of the base station rang with a piercing sound of alarm.

“Warning! Warning! A large number of unknown targets are approaching!”

They looked at the porthole, which was now adjusted to see extremely far distances. Streams of hyperdrive lights stopped and showed the Section Zero fleet.

“They’re here!” The base station commander clenched his teeth.

“Finally!” Tamaria tightened her fists and walked out in big steps.

The T-04 Hyperdrive Base Station was in sight, and the armed satellite fortresses were activated.

“The enemy fleet has completed their preparation. It seems that they guessed our strategy.”

Morred looked at the projection and did not mind. He did not think that such a simple strategy would fool the enemies. It just had to be effective.

“Time is limited. All units, attack!”

As the order was given, this fleet quickly accelerated and marched forward. Through radar identification, both sides started firing at each other from an extreme distance. The crisscrossed particle cannon beams filled this dark area of space with vibrant colors.

The nine armed satellite fortresses formed an enormous irregular shaped shield, protecting the base station from attacks.

There was a total of three Knife Teams attacking the base station. Reinforcements appeared from two other directions and dispersed the attacks. The pressure on Morred’s fleet was greatly reduced.

Han Xiao’s team followed Morred in the charge as well, mixed within the fleet.

The distance between the two sides was still huge. They were firing at each other from far away and had yet to enter the close-range combat stage. Han Xiao suddenly received Morred’s communication.

“Black Star, did you see the nine armed satellite fortresses? They are the generators of the base station’s protective shield. This kind of protective shield is very strong, and we don’t have enough time to slowly destroy it. The commanders of the other two teams and I have discussed this. We plan to all send out one team to board the armed satellite fortresses and destroy at least one of them!”

Morred spoke very quickly. What he meant was that as long as one armed satellite fortress was destroyed, the protective shield would have a hole in it. Before the other armed satellite fortresses got into position to close the gap, they would be able to use this opportunity to rush in to attack the base station. The mission would only be successful when the base station was destroyed.

They did not have much time. In this operation, the Restraint Teams and the Feint Teams had the most numbers. As the enemies’ reinforcements would only be divided when these strongholds were facing enough pressure. This way, not many enemy teams would be able to back up the hyperdrive base station. They had to use the opportunity when the enemies were split up and destroy the base station.

“No problem. My teammates don’t have to follow me. I will act alone.”

The mission on the interface changed to ‘destroy an armed satellite fortress’.

Han Xiao nodded and agreed. He let Risda control the spaceship then jumped out of the ship, activating the Mountain Ape mechanical suit and switching into Interstellar Travel mode. With a deep blue arc, he avoided the direct crossfire area and headed to an armed satellite fortress from the side.

The other teammates headed to another fortress, and the other two teams sent out ships as well. Han Xiao moved alone. As long as he could get to the armed satellite fortress, he would be able to destroy it very quickly.

I’m swifter and a smaller target when I move alone. Plus, with my name, it’s easier for me to restrain the high-level enemy combatants if I move alone.

In his vision, the tiny armed satellite fortress started to look bigger. He could clearly see the mechanical structure on the surface of the armed satellite fortress. Very soon, the fleet stationed to guard the base station discovered him, and some of the cannons turned and fired at him.

With the tactical screen reminding him of the direction of high energy particle cannons, Han Xiao focused fully on dodging the attacks, sometimes using the Hovering Shield Shuttle to form a psionic shield and block the stray attacks.

Not long after, Han Xiao headed right into the base station defense fleet, bolting swiftly between the enemy spaceships.

With his brain in a highly active state, he processed tremendous data every second. Han Xiao had no time to pay attention to the outside world-he was completely focused on dealing with the attacks coming from all directions. After an unknown amount of time had passed, he suddenly felt that the pressure became much lighter!

Han Xiao turned around and saw that, without realizing it, he had penetrated the entire line of defense. Further away, Morred and the other two Knife Teams were also in close combat with the base station fleets, dividing the enemies’ attention and decreasing the density of attacks on Han Xiao’s side.

Finally, some good teammates.

Han Xiao’s eyes sparkled. Without further delay, he headed right toward an armed satellite fortress.

The armed satellite fortress was spherical. It looked like a small planet from the outside. It was less than one percent the size of Planet Aquamarine. It sounded small, but when looking at it from a close distance, Han Xiao felt it did not look much different from a normal planet.

The blue protective shield stopped him outside. Han Xiao pressed onto the protective shield and activated the shield neutralizer to its maximum output. The shield within a hundred meters started to ripple at a high frequency. Its light started to dim, and its energy level started to decrease. Estimating that the shield had reached its critical point, Han Xiao’s other arm turned into a psionic cannon and fired right at the shield!

With a blue explosion, a more than thirty-meter-wide hole appeared in the protective shield. Compared to the entire protective shield, this hole was as tiny as a droplet of water in the ocean, but it was more than big enough for Han Xiao to enter.

Han Xiao looked around, the hole was shrinking from its edge, repairing itself. He summoned more than twenty Army Boxes and rushed in before the hole closed.

This armed satellite fortress had a simple artificial atmosphere for the maintenance personnel. Han Xiao quickly landed on the surface.

Landing on the ground, he looked around. Around him was an undulating mechanical landscape, cold and lifeless, full of mechanical beauty.

“Warning, hum! Five high energy reaction sources detected!”

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and looked over.

At the edge of the sky, five enemies with a strong ‘I’m a Calamity Grade’ vibe approached and landed nearby. The person at the front was wearing a ferocious and bulky heavy mechanical suit and carried a huge dark-gold mechanical axe on one shoulder.

Clank!

The facial armor of this person opened, showing a ferocious face and short and gold hair. It was the person that Morred had warned Han Xiao to be careful about, the Bloodshed Land Adjudicator stationed at T-04 Hyperdrive Base Station, Tamaria.

“I’ve been waiting here for you for a long time.”

Tamaria stared at Han Xiao and smiled ferociously.

When she first spotted Black Star, she had been overjoyed. Following Han Xiao’s route, she had brought a few people to this satellite in advance to wait for Han Xiao’s arrival.

In terms of duty, she was meant to deal with Black Star. Personally, Tamaria was also eager to fight with Han Xiao.

“Just five?” Han Xiao looked around and sneered. “All of your Vanguard Officials could not even kill me. You’re underestimating me. It will probably take all fifteen Calamity Grades in your base station to even give me any pressure.”

“Ha, Jorde has found your weakness. We’re not trying to kill you, so there’s no need for all fifteen of us to be here. Five of us is more than enough.”

Han Xiao was not surprised. After his last battle, Bloodshed Land would no longer deploy many people trying to kill him but had instead decided to send fewer people just to restrain him.

Tamaria licked her lips, her bloodthirsty desire overflowing. “Your body is amazing. Wait for me. I will bite off your flesh piece by piece, chew your bones till they shatter, drink your blood till they dry, suck on your bone marrow, and eat every single cell from your body. I heard your recovery ability is very strong. I hope you can make me feel full.”

Han Xiao felt disgusted. If these words had come from someone else, they might just be trying to threaten him, but he could hear that Tamaria truly meant it.

This woman wants to eat me?

How twisted… I don’t like it!

Boom!

At this time, the ground started trembling. The surface of the armed satellite fortress cracked open. Artilleries rose from within like metal forests, and all the barrels turned around and aimed at Han Xiao.

Thousands of thousand Beast Soldiers sprinted out from under the ground and surrounded him.

This was the armed satellite fortress’s defensive measure against enemies on its surface.

In the blink of an eye, enemies were everywhere!

Tamaria closed her facial armor and roared, “Before this war ends, you’re not going anywhere!”

Boom!

From afar, the Thousand Beast Soldier army charged straight for Han Xiao like a tsunami. The earth shook as they got nearer, and their specially-made armor glowed with a deadly light.

Tamaria raised her arm and threw out her dark-gold axe. The axe sliced through the wind and formed a spinning ball of red flames as it smashed down toward Han Xiao’s head.

Hu!

Han Xiao stomped down on the ground, and his body shot toward the sky to avoid the trajectory of the flying axe.

The axe that was flying in midair suddenly changed its trajectory and chased after Han Xiao.

Han Xiao looked down from above and saw an alloy chain attached to the end of the axe. The alloy chain seemed to be able to extend indefinitely with the other end of it attached to Tamaria’s mechanical suit. She could obviously control it from afar.

A floating guard behind Han Xiao then released a psionic shield and collided with the incoming axe!

Clank!

Sparks flew in all directions!

The burning axe was not able to make a dent in the psionic shield and returned to Tamaria’s hands as the chain shortened.

This attack signaled the beginning of the battle.

Phillip raised the alarm, and as Han Xiao lowered his head to take a look, all the artillery towers on this armed satellite fortress began to open fire at him!

Tuk tuk tuk!

The large barrel of the cannon spat out billowing smoke with missiles and laser beams being showered down on him from all directions and in all different colors!

Han Xiao was not only facing five Calamity Grade Supers but also the defensive measures of this armed satellite fortress.

His psionic thrusters were activated at full capacity, and Han Xiao transformed into a blue bolt of lightning as he dodged the never-ending wave of attacks nimbly.

Boom!

All the explosions were narrowly avoided by him, but the high temperature of the aftershock heated up the exterior of his mechanical suit.

Mushroom clouds covered the entire sky and the bolts of lightning from the artillery fire made it seem as though a large thunderstorm cloud was expanding above the armed satellite fortress.

The particle cannons shot through the dark clouds to reveal the light of the world.

Ignoring the danger of the battlefield, this scene was like Buddha’s light breaking through a thousand clouds and was extremely spectacular.

Dark clouds covered Han Xiao’s vision, and the Armor value of his mechanical suit continued to decrease under the barrage of cannon fire. Han Xiao’s expression remained calm, and he activated the Army Box. Together with his (Mechanical Force Field] skill, his Mechanical Force was boosted.

His energy had a new (Void) attribute, and he could borrow the void to transmit energy.

This meant that the efficiency of his Mechanical Force being transmitted was greatly increased.

Clank!

The sound of his Mechanical Army being activated could be heard from the clouds, and his Mechanical Army went to war!

“Orders for the army have been received. Attack region has been confirmed, hum…” Phillip’s voice sounded from Han Xiao’s helmet.

The next instant, over a million psionic cannons opened fire and rained down like a thunderstorm!

Boom!

The entire region was instantly flattened, and the metallic ground cracked up from the psionic canons. Mechanical parts flew in all directions, and craters could be seen all over the surface of the satellite.

Almost forty percent of the defensive canons were destroyed in just a single blow!

The armed satellite fortress was completely suppressed by Han Xiao’s army. Han Xiao’s Mechanical Army descended and dismantled the artillery towers of the armed satellite fortress.

Fighting could be seen all around with the smoke of war covering the entire battlefield.

All of a sudden, a high energy alert sounded from Han Xiao’s mechanical suit, and he immediately dodged to the side.

Hu!

Tamaria’s axe then shot narrowly past his body.

The mobility of a Pugilist was extremely high, and the moment her first attack missed, Tamaria turned around in midair and swung her axe down in rapid succession.

Her powerful attacks resulted in a deafening sonic boom with every attack.

Han Xiao released two psionic shields with his hands and received the attack without any hesitation. Sparks shot out in all directions, and a loud clanging sound resounded like thunder.

Swoosh!

Dark silver nanoparticles then rushed out from the tube at the back of the Mountain Ape suit and transformed into four half bodied phantoms. The phantoms floated behind Han Xiao and aimed their canons at Tamaria and Han Xiao, who were fighting.

Bang!

The four phantoms launched their first round of attacks but did not manage to stop Tamaria from engaging in close combat battle. She circulated her energy to form a flaming shield and blocked their attack!

Bang!

The second round of attacks was fired, and Tamaria remained indifferent. Such a level of attack was not sufficient to make her dodge.

When the third round of attacks was fired, Tamaria wanted to block it as before, but suddenly, she felt a powerful force ignoring her arm and going straight for her organs.

The (Legendary Battle Technique] was activated!

The sound of the explosion was louder than before!

Bang!

Tamaria’s expression dropped, and she could not help but retreat.

What a powerful penetrating force!

Tamaria suppressed her surging blood and had a face of shock.

Han Xiao made use of the opportunity to widen the gap between them as he looked at the battle information from his interface.

Thirty-five percent of True Damage from the previous attack had exceeded 12,000 points of damage. Apart from the basic boost from his Mechanical Force, he did not use any other skills. Just the additional True Damage from the (Legendary Battle Technique] skill had exceeded the reduced damage from the three rounds of attacks!

A Molding Talent is truly terrifying! Han Xiao thought to himself.

This talent was truly the bane of all Pugilists.

Tamaria should be a level 230 Pugilist who was toward the tanky side. Her Endurance should be about 1,600 points, so she should have a few talents to increase the strength of her body. Her health should also be above 300,000.

Currently, Tamaria’s health should be more than fifty percent higher than Han Xiao’s, but both of them were tanky in different ways. Han Xiao relied on the conversion between energy and health, and his recovery rate could make a Pugilist who walked the path of being a tank doubt their own life.

This talent truly exceeded my expectations. As long as my Mechanical Army can ensure that their attacks hit the target…

All those thoughts flashed through Han Xiao’s head in less than a second, and the other four Calamity Grade Supers caught up and launched their various attacks!

Han Xiao hurriedly avoided all the long-ranged attacks and suddenly felt an attack coming from behind him.

One of his opponents was a Pugilist who walked the path of agility. He nimbly made his way around Han Xiao like a shooting star, and his alloy dagger shot toward Han Xiao’s spine. He wanted to immobilize Han Xiao.

Han Xiao did not even turn back, and the four phantoms collapsed back into their nanoparticle form. The nanoparticles then formed a mechanical hand that was about seven to eight meters tall. The fingers and palm formed a psionic shield and blocked the sneak attack of this Pugilist.

Bang!

The mechanical hand then threw the Pugilist away as though it was throwing away rubbish!

After experiencing the strength of his new talent, Han Xiao no longer fought Tamaria and the others personally. Instead, he issued a new command, and half of his Mechanical Army surrounded the five Calamity Grade Supers.

He would attack them from the side to disrupt the enemy’s attacks and harass them.

“Do you think this junk will be able to stop

us”

Tamaria’s roar resounded, and the flames on her body exploded.

At the same time, outside the protective shield of the hyperdrive base, Morred and the other two Section Zero fleets were fighting with the defensive fleet of the enemy.

They had boasted the upper hand at the start of the battle and forced the enemy to retreat. However, the other strongholds had received news from the base, and a portion of their troops had immediately been sent to reinforce this hyperdrive base.

The battle was extremely intense at the moment, and neither party had the upper hand.

“Only Black Star has boarded one of the armed satellite fortresses. How is the situation over there?”

Morred could see Han Xiao’s location from the main control room.

Section Zero had sent a few teams of powerhouses to attempt to board nine different armed satellite fortresses. However, all the others had been forced back, and only Black Star had managed to board one of the armed satellite fortresses.

Morred’s palm was covered with cold sweat. His fleet was currently outside the protective shield. Whether or not he could destroy the base was dependent on if Black Star could destroy the armed satellite fortress.

He was the hope of the entire village!

“Sir, we have observed the battle between Black Star and the armed satellite fortress. The enemy has sent five Calamity Grade Supers to stop him, and they seem to have tied Black Star down.”

“This is bad.” Morred felt his heart tighten.

If Black Star was tied down, the entire battle would end up in a stalemate. The longer the battle dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for them.

Gritting his teeth, Morred issued an order.

“Inform the other two fleets. Ask all their Calamity Grade Supers to form a small team and reinforce Black Star. He has been pinned down by the enemy and needs support!”

Chapter 683 One Combo!

At the center of the base station, the base station commander was also observing Black Star’s movements.

“Black Star is the only one to have penetrated the protective shield. Tamaria has taken people to deal with him,” an observing officer said.

The base station commander nodded and looked at the radar. Suddenly, his eyes constricted.

“Hmm? The enemy has sent a Calamity Grade team toward the armed satellite fortress that Black Star is in? They’re trying to back Black Star up,” the base station commander said with a deep voice. “Just in case, send five more Calamity Grades to Black Star. We can’t let the enemies destroy our armed satellite fortresses. If the base station loses its protection, our loss will be inevitable!”

As the order was sent, five more Calamity Grades were deployed.

Both sides sent reinforcements to the battlefield that Black Star was in.

On the armed satellite fortress, Han Xiao had been fighting with Tamaria and the other four with his mechanical army for quite a while.

The battlefield extended over hundreds of miles. Everywhere they passed, the surface of the fortress was torn apart and messed up.

The battle in the sky had reached its climax.

Boom boom boom!

The five Calamity Grades dashed left and right. Broken mechanical soldiers fell from the sky one after another.

Boom!

The dark-gold mechanical axe was being spun around like a tornado, crushing every machinery in its path. Tamaria punched and kicked all the mechanical soldiers around her into pieces.

The other four were also continuously damaging the mechanical army.

It seemed like the enemies were unstoppable. However, they were actually wounded and exhausted.

The attacks of close to a million machines were very intensive. They were going to get hit sooner or later. Following the triggering requirement of the [Legendary Battle Technique], Han Xiao had changed Phillip’s control method. The first two attacks were focused on limiting the enemy’s dodge routes to increase the accuracy of the third attack.

Furthermore, he split up the attack frequency of the various units. This meant that the army’s every round of attack included a lot of True Damage. It was very lethal and gave the enemies a lot of pressure.

Tamaria did not dare ignore the attacks. She had to focus fully every time the army attacks. Otherwise, if she got hit by the True Damage attacks, suffering light injuries would be lucky.

She was furious.

This is called limited lethality?

Jorde, you’re full of sh*t!

Most of the low-grade mechanical soldiers were still fragile when facing Calamity Grades, but their attack was now on a different level.

Previously, most of the time, Han Xiao had used the mechanical army to reduce the enemy’s energy before he went to beat up the enemy personally. Now, however, the enemies were completely trapped in the mechanical army and were barely able to hold on. They did not even have a chance to approach Han Xiao.

Phillip firmly controlled the entire battle. Han Xiao was free enough to carry out Virtual Intrusion on this armed satellite fortress.

The armed satellite fortress seemed to have countless defensive measures and had held back half of his mechanical army. In order to quickly destroy this satellite, Virtual Intrusion was the most efficient method.

Boom!

At this time, Tamaria suddenly used some sort of ability and penetrated the army’s encirclement, dragging a blood red flame behind her. Like a rocket, she bolted up to Han Xiao!

“Ha!”

With a loud roar, the mechanical axe slashed down!

“Tsk.”

Han Xiao had no choice but to stop the Virtual Intrusion. Two psionic shields appeared from each of his hands and blocked this attack.

Clunk!

The axe was stuck between the shield. This time, as if the axe suddenly had an absorption force, the flames all over Tamaria’s body flowed right into it as it became more and more red.

The next moment, a thick, powerful blood-red wave launched from the axe!

It landed at zero distance!

Boom!

Being attacked by a powerful hit, Han Xiao coughed and was about to back off. To his surprise, Tamaria moved quicker and tied Han Xiao’s arms with the chain at the end of the axe, pulling him back.

“Like I said, you’re not going anywhere!” Tamaria roared and heavily headbutted Han Xiao’s forehead.

Boom!

Han Xiao felt dizzy. Tamaria had at least two thousand Strength, so it was normal for her to overwhelm him in terms of raw strength.

The vibration penetrated the helmet’s shock absorption module and caused a buzzing in his ears.

Tamaria was just about to continue attacking, but Han Xiao suddenly exited the Mountain Ape and exposed his body. Not only did he not look panicked, he even looked a little speechless.

“You really are… eager to die.”

The next moment, Han Xiao’s actions made Tamaria confused.

Not only did he not escape, he wrapped his arms around Tamaria’s waist and hugged her.

“You…”

Before Tamaria could react, she instinctively felt an extreme sense of danger. Suddenly, she figured something out, and her entire body was frozen.

All the mechanical army in the sky suddenly turned their barrels around and aimed at Han Xiao… as well as Tamaria!

“Let me go!”

Tamaria was extremely shocked and hastily tried to push Han Xiao away.

However, the Mountain Ape mechanical suit, now controlled by Phillip, shot out dozens of compressed orbs that turned into all sorts of traps and were planted around the two of them. With all those traps, neither of them were able to move for about two to three seconds.

They both became stationary targets.

Han Xiao chuckled beside Tamaria’s ear and said, “Didn’t expect that, did you? I’m just the bait.”

“Do you want to kill yourself ?” Only after Tamaria said this did she realize that Han Xiao had the Indestructible Body title. Rage and despair appeared on her face. She clenched her teeth and said, “Do you really think you’re unkillable?”

“No.” Han Xiao blinked then said something that Tamaria did not understand. “But I’m immune to True Damage.”

The next moment, countless psionic cannons from all directions fired at once!

Boom!

The expanding ball of light consumed the two of them. The other four Calamity Grades ran away with all their might.

The ball of light expanded to its maximum before exploding. The shockwave blew away everything around it, like using an eraser on a drawing

The exploded ball of light turned into sparkling light debris and fell like rain.

At the center of the explosion, Han Xiao was healthy and vigorous. He summoned the mechanical suit and wore it again. Then, he let go of the charred corpse that was still emitting black smoke, allowing it to fall from the sky.

With (Steel Body], he was immune to True Damage. Through the health-mana cycle, the health lost from the explosion swiftly recovered. Not only was he not injured, he even felt revitalized.

Oh, it’s because the attribute increase from the Advanced Strengthened Life has already stacked so many layers. No wonder…

Han Xiao slightly raised his brows.

Using himself as the bait to control the enemy before using the mechanical army to focus fire

— this was his trump card after obtaining the ability of health-mana cycle. As long as the enemy approached him without knowing, they would fall into the trap.

After obtaining (Legendary Battle Technique), the lethality of this method had become an ace card that could now kill the enemy.

Tamaria had instantly been killed under the focus fire!

No matter who she was, in Han Xiao’s eyes, she was just a Grade A+ Pugilist that had about seventy percent health, enough to be killed with one combo.

Han Xiao turned around and looked at the other four terrified Calamity Grades with a smile.

“Come on, let’s get to know each other.”

The four Calamity Grades shivered. With horrified expressions on their faces, they only had one thought in their minds.

Don’t come any closer!

Chapter 684 Deciding Victory

Boom!

The armed satellite fortress was plowed by the mechanical army again and again. The four Calamity Grades were no longer surrounding Han Xiao but running for their lives.

While attacking the enemies, Han Xiao was also hacking into the armed satellite fortress. After all, destroying the armed satellite fortress was his main goal. After killing Tamaria, the other four did not dare get close to him at all, so no one interrupted him.

Many of his Virtual Technology abilities were upgraded compared to before, so Han Xiao successfully obtained control of the armed satellite fortress without too much effort. A Grade A+ Virtual Mechanic could penetrate most artificial intelligences.

Han Xiao searched through the modules of the armed satellite fortress and sighed.

“No self-destruction module? Shame.”

After giving it some thought, Han Xiao controlled the armed satellite fortress to open its surface tunnels. He then sent some of the mechanical soldiers into the armed satellite fortress and planted secondary psionic bombs.

In terms of efficiency, destroying the energy furnace inside the armed satellite fortress was much more convenient than destroying the armed satellite fortress from outside.

At the same time on the main battlefield, a few small, agile spaceships dashed between the chaotic battlefield. In them were the Calamity Grades sent by Morred. They were trying to break through the enemies’ defenses and back Han Xiao up.

However, the high energy particle cannon attacks were too concentrated on the battlefield, so the reinforcement teams were forced to retreat again and again, unable to penetrate the enemies.

As the Bloodshed Land fleets arrived at the battlefield through quick reinforcement channels one after another, the main fleet could no longer provide cover for these reinforcement teams.

“The situation isn’t good. We took too long. Many enemies in the strongholds have gotten rid of the teams that were restraining them earlier and are arriving at the base station extremely quickly. The number of enemies we’re facing has multiplied many times!”

Inside the flagship, Morred’s expression changed as he heard the report.

He clenched his teeth and pushed the words through the gap of his teeth.

“If this goes on, we will only achieve a pathetic victory! Black Star is the key to breaking the situation, but he’s alone without backup. Are the helpers we sent still unable to break through their defenses?”

“They can’t. The enemies seem to know our intention and completely blocked all routes to the armed satellite fortress that Black Star is

on.”

Morred’s expression became firm. He waved his hand and said, “Send my orders. All units, retract the formation and push forward in his direction. Open a path for the reinforcement teams and penetrate the enemies’ defenses!”

en

As soon as his sentence ended, everyone was shocked.

The current situation was very clear; it could be divided into five layers.

The most exterior layer was where Morred and the three Section Zero fleets were. One more layer inside was the base station’s defense fleet. Those two were fighting each other.

After the defense fleet was the base station’s gigantic protective shield, separating the exterior battlefield and the base station core. One more layer inside were the nine armed satellite fortresses around the base station. In the center of all this was the target that Section Zero planned to destroy-T-04 Hyperdrive Base Station.

Morred’s order was to have the entire fleet march forward without backup and open a path for the reinforcement teams for Black Star. This was no different from giving up any possibility of retreating and deliberately entering the enemies’ encirclement.

If they penetrated the enemies’ line of defense but were unable to break through the base station protective shield immediately, it would be the end of them.

“This is a gamble. It’s too risky!”

“I don’t agree with such a reckless method. It’s better to fight steadily.”

Many fleet captains objected. They belonged to the partnered organizations and were not Morred’s direct subordinates.

The downside of an alliance force was showing again—when facing a danger that required them to take risks, they would not be united and would prioritize their own safety before the overall outcome of the battle.

Objections came from the communication channel nonstop. Morred’s expression became more and more angered. Only the New Phylen Rebels were directly under his command, but they were far from enough. He needed help from the other organizations.

Bang!

Morred could not take it anymore. He bashed the table and interrupted the objections from the various captains.

“I know, each and every one of you wants to be favored by Purple Crystal and become a long-term partner of a Star Cluster civilization. But you don’t want to fight for it with your lives. Do you think that the Purple Crystal civilization is easy to fool!

“I’ve had enough of being defeated by the Bloodshed Land again and again. There’s an opportunity right in front of us. His Excellency Black Star is fighting the enemies with his life. As long as we back him up, we will be able to break the stalemate and win this battle!

“You’re all big organizations from your Star Systems, famous and renowned, why have you all become a bunch of cowards? If you don’t even have the guts to take a little risk, pardon me for saying this, but why did you even join this war?”

The communication channels became quiet; no one spoke.

Seeing this, Morred said in a deep voice, “Execute the order!”

The entire fleet was no longer moving forward slowly. They retracted their formation and bashed right into the base station defense fleet’s formation like a hammer!

Enduring attacks from all directions, the fleet entered deep into the enemies’ fleet and headed toward the armed satellite fortress that Han Xiao was on.

At first, the enemy fleet was messed up by the sudden change, but they adjusted their formation very quickly and obstructed Morred’s fleet.

Not long after, Morred’s fleet was no longer charging forward quickly. Like they had stepped into a swamp, every step forward became difficult. At this point, they had already reached deep into the line of defense and were only a short distance away from the armed satellite fortress’s protective shield.

Yet, it seemed like the Morred fleet had to take ten times the time they took to get here to overcome such a short distance.

“Hang on. The armed satellite fortress is right in front of us!”

The command room was shaking from the attacks as Morred loudly ordered, “Reinforcement teams, it’s your turn!”

At this time, the atmosphere was tense among the reinforcement teams.

With a serious face, the captain of the Calamity Grades loudly said, “Everyone, get ready for battle. His Excellence Black Star needs our help. Go!”

The next moment, those Calamity Grades jumped out of the spaceship, moved swiftly using the other spaceships as cover and finally penetrating the line of defense under Morred’s nervous gaze. They headed toward the armed satellite fortress.

Morred looked at those Calamity Grades full of hope as they quickly approached the armed satellite fortress.

Whether they would win or lose all depended on this!

However, as he was being extremely nervous, something suddenly happened!

The members of the reinforcement team were just about to reach the protective shield of the armed satellite fortress when the armed satellite fortress suddenly emitted a blinding light and exploded!

The entire armed satellite fortress exploded from within. This fortress that looked like a small planet turned into a blinding explosion in the blink of an eye!

Countless scraps of armor, parts, and machines were blown away, turning into floating space debris. The impact was as large as a planet exploding!

As the fortress was destroyed, the base station protective shield lost one of its generators. The shield in this area suddenly disappeared, showing an enormous hole more than big enough for a fleet to enter.

Behind the hole was the hyperdrive base station now without any defense.

The path toward the enemies’ core opened!

A person flew out from the wreckage of the armed satellite fortress.

Han Xiao!

The sudden explosion attracted the attention of everyone on the battlefield. Friend or foe, they all looked over with shock on their faces.

Black Star had destroyed the armed satellite fortress all by himself!

The mechanical army had already been retrieved. Han Xiao took his Army Boxes and left the wreckage. There were quite many burn marks on his mechanical suit.

He saw the reinforcement team members right away. He waved and sent a voice message.

“You guys are late.”

The reinforcement team members were all mentally prepared for a bloody fight ahead, but now they felt as if they had just punched a ball of cotton. Dumfounded, they all looked at Han Xiao.

Wh—Where are the enemies?

Did you kill all of them?

They were completely shocked.

How many Calamity Grades did Black Star just kill!

“What an amazing job!”

Morred was stunned for an instant before he was overjoyed, yelling with excitement.

He had thought that Black Star was held back by the enemies and had no back up, but it seemed like the situation was the opposite of what he had speculated!

He had never expected that Black Star could destroy the fortress even while being surrounded by many Calamity Grades!

How damn reliable!

The protective shield broke very timely; it was a perfect opportunity.

Not having the time to think about other things, Morred grabbed the opportunity and quickly issued the orders. The entire fleet headed right through the hole in the gigantic protective shield, firing intensely at the base station.

At the same time, the base station was trembling from the attacks. The scene inside was full of chaos. Piercing alarms echoed in every corner.

“Warning! Warning! High energy attack detected!”

Like the countdown of the grim reaper, the bright and firework-like beams of attacks outside the windows rapidly approached.

Inside the main control room, the base station commander looked out the porthole, shivering and twitching from fear. Like everyone alongside him, he was in despair.

He could not understand it. Why is Black Star so much stronger than the intelligence said?

He had sent out five Calamity Grades to back Tamaria up just in case. They were supposed to guard against the reinforcements of Black Star. However, he had never expected that Black Star would kill Tamaria when those five Calamity Grades were still on the way!

She was the strongest person there, yet she had been killed just like that!

When the five reinforcements arrived, the four Calamity Grades following Tamaria were either dead or heavily injured. They were crushed. Black Star did not stop there and went ahead to demolish the five Calamity Grades that had just arrived!

Black Star eliminated more than half of the high-level combatants stationed at the base station all by himself!

The ‘how to deal with Black Star’ information in the intelligence file was absolutely useless!

This completely messed up all their plans. The base station commander was petrified and unable to think.

In the face of such overwhelming strength, he felt powerless and had no solution for it. All he could do was watch as Black Star turned the armed satellite fortress into fireworks.

Time seemed to slow down, and the attacks got closer. The bright light lit up the base station commander’s face and filled his vision.

At this moment, he only had one thought in his mind.

I lost… to Black Star.

Thousands of attacks landed on the hyperdrive base station, tearing it to pieces silently in an instant.

At this point, Han Xiao had already returned to the Blacklight Stealth. He took off the mechanical suit, massaged his shoulders, and smiled when he saw the hyperdrive base station getting destroyed.

Victory at last. My efforts didn’t go to waste.

The notification of the strategic mission being completed popped up on the interface. Destroying the armed satellite fortress alone made the Mission Rating very high. His Favorability with the Purple Crystal increased by 1,350, and he was also awarded with tens of millions of Experience.

However, this was just a small part of the reward that he received this time. Killing Tamaria who was many levels higher than him alone gave him more than half a billion Experience.

Earning Experience through killing Calamity Grades is actually quite efficient. Without the players here, that’s a rather good option.

War was indeed an opportunity. Where else would he be able to find so many Calamity Grade enemies?

Through this battle, he had a clearer idea of his own strength. Compared to two months prior, his combat capability now was on a completely different level.

With (Legendary Battle Technique], he could crush most opponents with just his mechanical army. Despite having just entered the Grade A+ territory, his actual combat capability had already exceeded top Grade A+ Supers.

With so many powerful Molding Talents that synergized with each other, the actual effect in combat was better than he imagined.

Not even sending ten normal Calamity Grades to fight him would basically be gifting him kills!

As long as a Beyond Grade A Super doesn’t interfere, the others in the Bloodshed Land should all be no match for me…

Han Xiao only had this thought for a second before he immediately slapped himself and got rid of it.

That was close. I almost flagged my own death!

Han Xiao turned to look at the battlefield.

With the base station destroyed, the enemies lost their reinforcement channel. The stalemate was broken instantly. The morale of Section Zero was boosted, and they started to clean out the remaining enemies. The enemies’ complete defeat was just a matter of time.

Han Xiao had completed his mission, so he did not take part in the following battles. He slacked off with the Black Star Army fleet at the side.

Morred and the three fleets intercepted and surrounded the remaining enemies. The ending of this battle was already decided. As it quickly ended, Section Zero finally achieved their first big victory.

The three fleets cleaned up the battlefield and picked up the loot before leaving the scene in groups.

After more than an hour in hyperdrive, the fleet slowly stopped in a safe area.

Han Xiao received Morred’s invitation to attend the postwar conference on the flagship.

After calling up Herlous, Harmon, and the other officers, Han Xiao linked his spaceship with the flagship.

Whoosh!

The hatch opened. In front of them was the link corridor. Han Xiao led the others into the flagship. A few receptionists were waiting there. They quickly approached and welcomed him with a respectful tone.

“Your Excellency Black Star, everyone has arrived. They’re all waiting for you.”

“Lead the way.”

Han Xiao nodded and followed the receptionist to the door of the conference hall inside the flagship.

The door opened, and joyous and delightful voices came from inside. The atmosphere seemed very positive.

There were quite a few people in the room. All the people in charge of the partnered organizations within the fleet had been invited. After finally achieving a victory, everyone was elated.

Han Xiao stepped in, and chatter inside the hall suddenly stopped. Everyone looked over. Seeing that it was Han Xiao, their eyes were filled with admiration and respect. They opened up a path for Han Xiao.

“Black Star, you’re here. Quick, take a seat.”

The center of the hall was a circular conference table, and everyone was sitting there. Morred sat at the host seat. As he saw Han Xiao, he quickly stood up and passionately invited Han Xiao to take a seat.

“Hi, how are you? Have you eaten?” Han Xiao sat on his seat and casually greeted the others.

“Haha, now that everyone is here, let’s start the conference. His Excellency Ralph has something that he wants to say to us.”

Morred smiled and pressed the desk. Ralph’s remote projection image appeared above the center of the conference table.

Ralph cleared his throat and spoke.

“Everyone, you’ve done a very good job. You’ve eliminated the base station, causing the Bloodshed Land’s twelve strongholds to be isolated and their forces to be separated. Our troops successfully destroyed those twelve strongholds with very low casualties. This is our first overwhelming victory!”

Clap clap clap!

Everyone applauded.

“Morred, you were very decisive. Your contribution in destroying the base station is huge. Carrie, you restrained the enemies and completed your mission. Pierer, you…”

Ralph praised everyone present one after the other. The applause continued nonstop. Han Xiao’s expression was strange—this reminded him of exam result announcements.

They had just won a battle, and now they were already being evaluated for their contribution.

“Also, the biggest merit of this victory…”

Ralph turned to look at Han Xiao with a big smile on his face. “Black Star, you destroyed the enemy’s armed satellite fortress and defensive measures alone, which can be said to be the key point in turning the battle around!”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Who said that one person could not change the battle? Black Star alone could complete this kind of key tactical mission-his actions determined their victory and decided the result of the skirmish.

“Ahem, I just did what I should.” Han Xiao maintained his expression and waved his hand like it was not a big deal.

Morred could not help but add, “If not for you, at most, we would have ended up with a tragic victory. Of course, you deserve the biggest

merit!”

Han Xiao’s mouth twitched, and he had no choice but to smile politely.

Ralph smiled and said, “You don’t have to be humble. I have already reported to the superiors. They are very satisfied with your achievements. The people above have decided to increase their investment in the Black Star Army as a reward. Also, they will consider making you a long-term partner.”

When Ralph said this, everyone’s expression slightly changed. They were jealous.

The biggest goal they had in joining the secret war was to become a long-term partner of a Star Cluster Civilization. Black Star was already one step ahead of them.

In the Purple Crystal Civilization upper echelons’ eyes, the Black Star Army’s importance had probably already exceeded any of the other Section Zero members.

Now this is what I wanted to hear, actual benefits… Han Xiao smiled.

“By the way, you also killed the Bloodshed Land’s Adjudicator, Tamaria. This is the first high-level Bloodshed Land officer that has died. The Bloodshed Land has lost an important member. You’ve done a good job.”

Han Xiao was stunned. So, that testy woman I killed is the first important Bloodshed Land officer to die in the secret war?

This means that… I took Ty-Ty’s first blood?

So… Heber won’t get angry… right?

Due to the disadvantage they had been at for the past two months, Ralph had been incredibly stressed. He kept wanting to get revenge. As soon as Black Star returned, he had finally made the Bloodshed Land lose. Ralph felt relieved.

The more he looked at Han Xiao, the more satisfied he was.

In his eyes, the combat capability displayed by Black Star exceeded the standard of normal Calamity Grades. Usually, only Beyond Grade As would be able to crush a group of Calamity Grades. However, Black Star was not Beyond Grade A. Hence, he felt that there was only one explanation for this—Black Star’s potential was extraordinary. Furthermore, his potential was becoming real strength way too quickly. He was obviously much stronger than he had been two months ago!

Purple Crystal had looked into Han Xiao’s past before. About ten years ago, Black Star had just entered the galaxy and built his mercenary group. Back then, he was not even Grade B, yet in less than ten years, he had risen extremely quickly.

This meant that Black Star had the highest amount of Beyond Grade A potential!

In all the years since the end of the exploration era till now, none of the Beyond Grade As had risen as quickly as Black Star!

Ralph was exhilarated. As long as the Tyrant did not do anything, Black Star might be able to crush all the Bloodshed Land Calamity Grades. He was basically a murder weapon among the high-level combatants, the biggest advantage that Section Zero had!

This evaluation right after the battle was done on purpose. One reason was to use rewarding Black Star as an example to encourage more Section Zero members to win battles, eliminating the downside of an alliance force.

The second reason was to express their attitude toward Black Star on how important he was to them.

Killing two birds with one stone.

At this moment, no one realized that the effects of this skirmish would be much greater than they thought…

Chapter 686 Tyrant’s Plan

After this victory, Section Zero temporarily did not carry out any more counterattack operations. Han Xiao left the main fleet after getting the contacts of Morred and the others.

The reward for this mission came very quickly. Purple Crystal was very generous, giving him a total of twenty-seven million Enaus and other rare resources, clearly expressing Han Xiao’s importance to them.

After this battle, Ralph saw Han Xiao as a treasure.

He told Han Xiao to stand by temporarily. Only on important missions would he consider using the Black Star trump card. There was no need to deploy him for normal guerrilla missions.

Of course, Han Xiao was more than willing to slack off. He could make use of this opportunity to digest the resources that he had just received from the Purple Gold Civilization and replenish his mechanical army. Furthermore, Lagi was on the way there as well.

At the same time, the influence of this war was slowly spreading

“Section Zero achieved a huge victory in the Kaya Star System, destroying twelve Bloodshed Land stronghold planets.”

To the various civilizations and organizations of the Shattered Star Ring who had been paying attention to the secret war, this news quickly made them feel energized. Ever since the start of the war, this was Section Zero’s first successful counterattack. They have finally put a stop to their string of failures.

These organizations knew what Purple Crystal’s strategy was-give up some areas strategically and split up the Bloodshed Land’s forces. They knew that the secret war would enter a stalemate sooner or later and that the war would probably only end after many years.

The talented individuals appearing in the secret war became the focus of the various organizations.

War had always been a stage for the strong, a shortcut to honor. There were always people who became famous through war. To all those who have been paying attention, Han Xiao was clearly the brightest star born on this stage. Everyone else paled in comparison before him.

Black Star’s turning point since the start of the war was when he was able to survive the attacks of all eight Vanguard Officials. With that, he earned the nickname of ‘Indestructible Body’, which spread across the entire Star Field.

Just two months later, he once again gained astonishing achievements, killing ten Calamity Grade Supers, including the Bloodshed Land Adjudicator, Tamaria. He once again made sensational news.

The Beyond Grade A seeds in the past had been quiet for a long time. After so many years, none of them became a new Beyond Grade A. Similarly, when those Beyond Grade A seeds first entered the list, that was when they were the most famous. Like a cycle, it was now Black Star’s turn.

It had not been long since Black Star became a Beyond Grade A seed. These two achievements were his signature deeds, sparking discussion between countless people. These two unbelievable achievements produced a chemical reaction, making Han Xiao the latest Star Field level hot topic. His fame in the Shattered Star Ring skyrocketed, and his position grew just as quickly.

Before this, Black Star had not been considered someone huge in the Shattered Star Ring—the majority of his position was because of Floating Dragon. However, he had gradually stepped out of the Floating Dragon title, and his own position had started to grow. He could be said to be an overnight sensation.

ans

Through this battle, it was not just potential that Han Xiao had shown but his true combat capability, which almost no one in his grade could match up to. To many organizations, Black Star was almost half a Beyond Grade A. It seemed like he really had a chance to sit on the Beyond Grade A throne one day.

The rise of every Beyond Grade A was always sensational. If a fifth Beyond Grade A really appeared in the Shattered Star Ring, the issues between Klent and Purple Crystal would become unimportant.

When Han Xiao stood his ground against the eight Vanguard Officials, those large organizations had still been spectating. However, after the news of him killing several Calamity Grades spread out, many people could not just watch anymore.

Some wanted him dead, while some wanted him to live.

More people wanted to contact him.

Many that were previously just watching decided to join in.

Han Xiao had yet to know that the storms he had stirred up had made the influence of the secret war exceed beyond what it was supposed to have.

A cyclone hidden under the secret war was brewing

At this time, Klent and Purple Crystal knew nothing about this, nor did they think that this war would go out of their control.

In the Bloodshed Land headquarters, specifically in the Tyrant’s palace, the small mountain-sized Heber sat on the hovering throne, looking down at the frightened Jorde.

“Tamaria… died?”

Jorde shivered. Not daring to look up, he looked down at the ground and said, “She died at Black Star’s hands. I’m responsible, too. My intel was inaccurate…”

It would not matter if those below Calamity Grade died, but Tamaria was different. She was one of the key members who had followed the Bloodshed Land through battles from the earliest time. She had even received personal guidance from Tyrant before. The death of an experienced adjudicator was a huge loss.

“Hmm, okay,” Heber said with an indifferent tone.

Jorde stood still for a while but did not hear the next half of the sentence he had expected, so he cautiously asked, “What… are you planning to do?”

“Dying in war is a righteous end for warriors,” Heber said slowly. “In war, you can kill people, and people can kill you.”

Jorde was stunned. Did this mean that Tyrant was not planning on getting revenge?

“Er… I thought you…”

“You thought I would be furious and immediately avenge Tamaria?” Heber frowned slightly. “Then, what would I need you people for?”

Heber was domineering, but that did not mean that he was reckless and impulsive. He was calm and would not change his plan just because one or two of his subordinates died.

As long as there was no Beyond Grade A on the enemy’s side fighting, he would not easily make a move. This had been decided with Klent long ago.

Usually, Heber would be biased toward his subordinates, but in wars, he was cold-blooded.

Wars were trials of blood and fire; Heber was not going to protect his subordinates. He needed his officers to grow in the flames of war. Even if all of them died, he would not feel heartache. His organization was his tool, not his weakness.

Jorde did not know what to say.

“However, this isn’t over,” Heber said.

“What does that mean?” Jorde asked honestly.

“He will be held accountable for this; our fight will be inevitable,” Heber said coldly. “He has Beyond Grade A potential, but as of now, he still is a Calamity Grade. If I kill him now, it will be too boring, so I will give him time to grow.

“If he stays at Calamity Grade, I won’t do anything to him, but as soon as he becomes Beyond Grade A, I will personally strike and beat him to death!”

After a pause, Heber said, “If he can’t become Beyond Grade A even by the end of the war, I will still kill him by then.”

“But… Black Star is very strong. He will cause a lot of casualties to our high level combatants.” Jorde could not help but speak up. He hoped that Heber could change his mind and kill Black Star immediately.

“I know the casualties will be high…” Heber looked down at Jorde, speaking slowly. “Therefore, Black Star is the enemy I’m leaving to you guys. Survive against him, become stronger or die. Those that don’t even have this little amount of faith in themselves can request to come back to the headquarters. They won’t ever have to go into the battlefield again.”

Heber knew that Han Xiao was strong, so he wanted to use him to train the officers under his command.

Now that all the forces were paying attention to Black Star, if he, a Beyond Grade A, personally attacked a Calamity Grade, it would seem petty of him. Even though Black Star was a Beyond Grade A seed, he would still be able to easily kill him.

Heber disdained killing Black Star. In his eyes, not only would that be a despicable act, it would also be short-sighted.

Killing Black Star immediately would at most clear the obstacles of this war and decrease the casualties of his organization. In Heber’s eyes, that was not even worth mentioning compared to what he could get from killing a Beyond Grade A.

He was willing to give Han Xiao time to grow.

The Bloodshed Land was so enormous and powerful because he, the Beyond Grade A, was the core that united all of it.

As long as he was there, no casualties were unrecoverable.

As long as he was there, the Bloodshed Land would be able to rapidly develop.

He needed an opponent worth fighting. If Black Star could really become a Beyond Grade A, the entire Star Field would be sensationalized. By then, if he fought Black Star, no one would have a problem with that.

I won’t bully you when you’re weak. I will wait till you reach my level, then kill you!

Domineering as usual!

This way, the influence that he would gain would be much bigger. Black Star’s death would once again bring glory to the title Tyrant’.

“Understood, I will let everyone know your intention.” Jorde’s voice became louder as he was conquered by Heber’s personality.

Although, from the way Jorde saw it, letting Black Star grow was not a wise choice.

But…

It’s so domineering!

He had absolute confidence in Heber. Even if Black Star became a Beyond Grade A, he would still be no match for Tyrant.

His Excellency Heber’s perspective on the issue is on a different level. He saw a greater opportunity while my vision was limited by this war. I’m too petty.

“Black Star became stronger again.”

In the Floating Dragon palace, Aesop was looking at the news. He sighed and looked at Ames, who was sitting on the hovering throne.

“I still underestimated him. Back then, I wanted Black Star to be your right-hand man. I never thought that he would grow this fast. Sooner or later, he will request to leave Floating Dragon.”

Ames was silent. She wanted Han Xiao to become stronger, but she did not want Han Xiao to leave her side.

Aesop sighed and said, “He has done a lot for Floating Dragon, but I have seen many Beyond Grade As before. Other than those raised by the three Universal Civilizations, no one is willing to be under someone else. I know that he’s important to you, but the Shattered Star Ring is very big. He won’t be your subordinate forever.”

“He won’t be able to leave,” Ames said coldly.

Aesop frowned. “Don’t be willful. No matter what, Black Star is your friend. With this relationship, the two of you will definitely be allies. There’s no need to create a conflict…”

“I said, he won’t be able to leave!”

Ames raised her voice and interrupted Aesop before lowering her gaze.

“Unless I can’t stop him.”

Black Star Base No.1’s military factory was so large that the end of it was out of sight. Countless assembly lines operated every hour of the day. Mechanical parts were assembled into all kinds of equipment by countless mechanical arms. Several Mechanics walked in between the assembly lines, debugging them from time to time.

The top of the factory was the main control room that could look over the entire factory. Decks of blueprints were spread on the alloy table near the window of the main control room, flipped by a person’s hand.

Reynold sat upright beside the table, reading through the blueprints with a serious expression.

This time, the door of the main control room was shoved open, and Sylvia ran in with joy all over her face.

“Hey, I have good news!”

Reynold slowly moved his eyes from the blueprints and looked at Sylvia.

“Big sis, please do tell,” he said with a serious face.

Sylvia was already used to Reynold’s personality and had learned to selectively ignore parts of it. She raised her hand, and a ball of flickering Mechanical Force appeared in her palm.

“Hehe, I’m Grade B now. Aren’t I amazing?” Sylvia said with an excited expression.

“Amazing,” Reynold said with an upward tone and a poker face. He even raised his hands and clapped.

Seeing this, Sylvia felt awkward. She felt like something that she was proud of might not be worth mentioning in the eyes of a Calamity Grade.

But she could not resist sharing her joy. Han Xiao had taken the old officers out to war, so the one that was closest to her among the remaining people was only Reynold, who oversaw the logistics. Usually, she would ask Reynold any questions she had. Although Reynold was nominally her junior, he was actually considered Han Xiao’s teaching assistant.

Sylvia could not suppress her excitement of entering Grade B and became happy again after feeling awkward for a while. With aspiration on her face, she said, “Teacher will definitely be very happy when he hears about this. He’s always had high hopes for me…”

Most importantly, Han Xiao had promised her that if she could become a Grade B Super, she would be able to focus on combat in the future and not do homework every day.

I’m free!

I, Sylvia, am happy!

After enjoying being happy for a while, Sylvia realized that Reynold did not say anything. She looked up and realized that although Reynold was facing her, his eyes were secretly looking sideways at the blueprints on the table.

Is talking to me this boring? Sylvia snapped her fingers, put on an angry expression, and said, “Stop looking away. I’m talking to you!”

Reynold looked back and said with a serious expression as if nothing had happened, “Hmm, you’re right.”

Wow, what a perfunctory response… Sylvia clenched her teeth, took a deep breath, and calmed her emotions. She then took out the communicator and said, “By the way, Teacher did something great recently again. Look, people all over the Star Field are discussing him on all platforms. They all say he has the highest chance to become the next Beyond Grade A of the Shattered Star Ring. Tsk tsk, I never thought that Teacher is this amazing. If he really becomes a Beyond Grade A, as his disciple, maybe we…”

With a pause, Sylvia suddenly realized that Reynold did not react again. She looked up and saw that Reynold was looking at the blueprints on the table once again.

“Still looking?”

Sylvia was embarrassed and irritated. She snapped her finger again louder.

Am I, such a beautiful lady, not even as attractive as those boring blueprints?

“No, I’m listening.” Reynold coughed. He took the communicator from Sylvia’s hand and looked at the news on it. His face turned serious again, and he muttered, “Black Star… Beyond Grade A seed…”

Seeing that Reynold was finally not looking at the blueprints, a smug expression appeared on Sylvia’s delicate and exquisite face.

As Han Xiao’s secretary, she knew that Reynold’s contract duration was about to end. For the Black Star Army, she felt that she had to make Reynold stay.

According to her knowledge of Reynold, this person’s desire to learn exceeded even his physiological desires. Sylvia felt that the best way to make him stay was to keep reminding him that her teacher had become stronger and stronger, showing him how outstanding her teacher was. That way, Reynold might choose to stay and continue following Black Star to learn and work for the army.

Although Sylvia did not really want to share her teacher with Reynold, for the sake of the army… she decided to sacrifice that.

“Beyond Grade A… Beyond Grade A…” Reynold muttered. Usually, he always looked serious and formal, but now, he looked like he had something heavy on his mind. “Black Star… Black Star can solve this once and for all…”

“What?” Sylvia did not understand what he

meant.

“Nothing.”

Reynold returned to being serious.

At the same time in the training camp of Black Star Base No.1, Brock put down the communicator that was playing the news. He wanted to pick up the wine cup and drink it to suppress his fear but realized that his hand was shaking

He was a DarkStar remnant. After the DarkStar leader went missing, he had kept his mission in mind and believed that the leader would definitely return. Hence, he had joined and infiltrated the Black Star Army, hoping to one day become an important chess piece for the leader. He was now acting as the drill sergeant in the base.

For the past couple of years, Brock had been working in fear, not daring to do anything out of the line, and carefully disguised his identity, afraid of being suspected by anyone. His trust for the DarkStar leader was what kept him going

However, when he saw the news of Han Xiao becoming a Beyond Grade A seed, Brock realized that his belief was shaken.

He could not help but doubt… if the leader would really be a match for Black Star. Would he really be able to complete his revenge?

Would it not most likely be suicide?

If so, him staying in the Black Star Army as a spy might be pushing the leader into the pit of fire.

Brock was perturbed. Black Star’s overwhelming strength made him despair. He almost could not even think about resisting.

He secretly made up his mind. If the leader one day returned and he was able to get in contact with him, he had to convince the leader not to mess with Black Star. It would be more difficult than messing with Godora!

On a devastated civilization planet in a certain Star Field…

The planet’s surface was burning with endless flames and smoke, the ground shattered, the cities were destroyed, and countless were slaughtered.

The fleet that completed its invasion retracted their artillery barrels, slowly rising above the atmosphere, leaving the almost completely destroyed planet surface civilization.

This invading fleet was made up of three thousand battleships.

However, not far from the planet, an enormous fleet a thousand times bigger was docked. The battleships seemed endless, as if they filled up the entire galaxy. The three thousand battleships were just a small division of this enormous fleet.

A fleet of such a size could even fight a Star Cluster Civilization directly.

The three thousand battleships returned to the large army with their loot, like a droplet of water entering the ocean.

The leading disk-shaped battleship of this team deviated from the others and gradually entered deeper into the army, arriving at the center of this enormous fleet.

At the center of the fleet was a gigantic planet-level main ship. Comparatively, the disk-shaped spaceship was like a pebble, and this gigantic main ship was like a mountain.

A conspicuous sign was painted on the exterior armor of the main ship-a gray, hooded man.

The disk spaceship entered the dock of the main ship, flew down the long lane, and stopped at the hangar.

Whoosh!

The hatch opened, and the DarkStar leader walked out. With emotionless eyes, he turned around and waved, signaling for the subordinates behind him to bring the dozens of weak captives and follow him.

After walking for a while, they arrived before an enormous alloy gate. The giant cyclops guard beside the gate saw the dozens of the captives behind the DarkStar leader and grinned.

“You’re quite fast. Go in, he’s waiting for you.”

As he spoke, the alloy gate slowly opened. The DarkStar leader focused his mind, led the others, and walked in. The view before his eyes turned bright. Noises and heat waves landed right on his face.

This was an enormous palace that was now having a party. There were countless tables filled with the delicious food and alcohol of many races, and there were people everywhere. Countless creatures from different races were gulping down the meat and drinks, roaring and laughing loudly. There were also female dancers walking through the crowd, roughly groped by people from time to time.

The DarkStar leader even saw that there was someone in the corner hugging a dancer and bumping her against the wall, his laughing and roaring mixed into the noises.

Chaos filled the entire room. Despite having lived there for a few years, the DarkStar leader still could not help but frown, not used to this stimulating scene.

A drunk Beastman stumbled over. The DarkStar pressed him on the shoulder and pushed him away. He then walked to the center of the palace with large steps. At the center was a scarlet throne carved into the shape of some strange creature, like an ancient god he did not know the name of, which some Arcane Church branches prayed to.

On the throne was a skinny, boney human-shaped creature wearing a ragged hood. Other than his face, his body was covered tightly. He was facing down, not making a single sound. The hood covered his face.

The DarkStar leader came before the throne. Ignoring the chaotic scene around and the noises, he pointed at the dozens of captives behind him that were stunned by what they were seeing. “Your Excellency, I’ve brought the Espers.”

Suddenly, the creature on the throne shivered, as if he had awoken from his sleep. He slowly looked up, showing his face under the hood.

Under the hood was a vortex-like black fog, with a red flickering dot of light in the middle.

With an unknown method, this faceless creature somehow spoke. His voice was rough and husky. “Well… done…”

As he was speaking, he suddenly twisted his neck. The black fog under the hood suddenly disappeared, turning into the face of a hybrid human without any special features.

The hooded man stood up and walked down from the throne and toward the dozens of captives. The DarkStar leader stepped aside.

He stood in front of the first captive, looked right into the horrified eyes of this captive, grinned, and grabbed the neck of this captive.

The next moment, this captive’s entire body shrunk and became dry, yet he did not die. He collapsed to the ground with his eyes opened wide, not even having the energy to speak a single word.

“Not bad.”

The hooded man licked his lips as if he was enjoying the taste. Then, he did the same and turned all the captives into dried shells before returning to the throne. He looked at the DarkStar leader with a satisfied expression

“You’re good. I like you.”

“It’s my honor to serve you.” The DarkStar lowered his head with respect. “According to our agreement, for every satisfying Esper I bring, you…”

The hooded man waved his hand and interrupted the DarkStar leader. “I know, I will give you a new fleet. Hmm, I have some information here. Maybe you’ll be interested.”

The hooded man shook his hand. A communicator flowed out from his palm and landed in the DarkStar leader’s hands.

The DarkStar leader opened and looked at it. His expression instantly changed. The rumors surrounding Han Xiao were playing on it.

“He seems to be what made you escape from the Shattered Star Ring.” The hooded man smiled faintly. “Looks like he can become a Beyond Grade A.”

The DarkStar’s face was grave. He took a deep breath and slowly said, “Thank you for this information.”

“You’re welcome.” The hooded man smiled and spoke in a rather friendly tone. He then waved and said, “You can leave now. Such a good environment is rare. Don’t disturb my sleep.”

“Yes.” The DarkStar nodded and led his subordinates. He did not care about the dozens of dried captives. The chefs would come to cook them later anyway.

Walking out of the palace, the alloy gate slowly closed. The DarkStar looked back. Through the gap in the gate, he saw the hooded man lower his head and enter into sweet dreams in the chaotic, loud, and insane environment.

“What a maniac.”

The DarkStar leader clenched his fists, and a deep sense of fear flashed through his eyes.

The people behind him had arranged for him to leave the Shattered Star Ring and join under this hooded man. This man was the master of this enormous fleet and also a horrifying Beyond Grade A Super who wanted to fuse the abilities on the Super High Risk Esper Ability Restriction Treaty together.

Following the agreement, the DarkStar had given the hooded man Ember. He could still remember the look of disbelief and shock on Ember’s face when he realized that he had been betrayed.

However, his resistance was futile. The hooded man had been very satisfied with the sacrifice, so he had made an agreement with the DarkStar leader-he could provide fleets for the DarkStar leader, but the DarkStar leader had to exchange them for Espers that could satisfy him.

Therefore, the DarkStar leader stayed there temporarily. He invaded and destroyed one surface civilization after another, searching for Supers with interesting Esper abilities. After a few years, he had obtained a large number of battleships and men.

Originally, the DarkStar leader wanted to continue building his forces. However, Han Xiao’s rocketing combat capability gave him pressure.

Following the current pace, Black Star might really become a Beyond Grade A Super. Then, it would be useless for him to return. If there was a Beyond Grade A in the Garton Star System, no one would be able to cause any trouble. DarkStar would never have a chance to rise again.

“I have to go back as soon as possible, otherwise everything will be too late.”

The DarkStar leader made his decision. Black Star happened to be at war, so he could take advantage of that.

Furthermore, the DarkStar leader did not dare stay there any longer. In just a few years, he had been deeply affected by the chaos there. He could not imagine what would happen if he continued to stay, whether he would become just as insane.

This enormous fleet was a Beyond Grade A organization that was always relocating and moving. The hooded man was the leader of this organization. Among all the Beyond Grade As in the entire universe, he was the most notorious maniac!

This place welcomed wanted criminals from every Star Field who had no way out. It was the holy land for all criminals.

This was the… (Fallen Ark]!

Aroshia had followed Han Xiao to the war as well. She was staying in the fleet and slacking off like Han Xiao.

Inside a room with turned off lights, Aroshia hugged her knees, sat in a corner, and stared into the darkness in front of her blankly.

This time, dots of light debris suddenly appeared out of thin air and formed into the bright shape of a man, lighting up the room. It was Risda.

“It’s you.” Aroshia had no expression on her face.

Risda’s body vibrated. He then spoke.

“Great, if Black Star becomes a Beyond Grade A, he will be able to fight the Mechanic Empire. Our people might be saved.”

“Oh.” Aroshia did not respond too passionately

“But Black Star might not be willing to fight the Mechanic Empire. You and I must convince him. He’s our biggest hope,” Risda said.

Aroshia kept silent for a while before suddenly asking, “He might die, right?”

“Everything is possible; nothing is absolute.” Risda shook his head and avoided the topic. “Remember what I said.”

Then, Risda disappeared, and the room returned to darkness.

Aroshia buried her chin between her knees and stared blankly.

Meanwhile, Lagi was still on the way there.

Chapter 689 Leeks Coming from Everywhere! (2)

The moment the recruitment order from the Black Star Army was sent out, practically half the star field exploded from excitement, and all the responders began to gather!

In just ten days, Phillip had already received countless resumes from various sectors of the Shattered Star Ring.